Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri will introduce legislation Tuesday to revoke China's permanent normal trade relations status within two years, Politico reported.
His bill, the Ending Normal Trade Relations with China Act of 2023, would roll back over two decades of Beijing's PNTR (permanent normal trade relations) designation, subjecting their imports to higher tariffs.
In addition, the bill provides President Joe Biden the authority to increase tax rates on select goods even higher by re-assigning China to the Trade Act of 1974's second column of Title IV, Chapter 1.
"As we face a new age of competition with China, we need an agenda in Washington that will make our working class strong and independent," Hawley told the outlet. "We can start by revoking the sweetheart deal D.C. elites handed to China 23 years ago — end normal trade relations, put in place strong tariffs, and protect American workers."
It comes in the backdrop of former President Donald Trump's calls to reform the U.S. trade relationship with China throughout his tenure, with four Republican lawmakers floating a similar bill to Hawley's earlier this year.
The China Trade Relations Act of 2023 proposed by GOP Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Rick Scott of Florida, Ted Budd of North Carolina, and J.D. Vance of Ohio would require China to obtain most-favored-nation status annually.
"The CCP cares about one thing: undermining America," Scott said in January. "There is no reason why the United States should be helping a communist government's trade operation through preferential treatment and 'most-favored-nation' status.
"That is absolutely absurd when they are working against us. It is time to put American interests first, not the CCP, and reverse this antiquated law."
On Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Russian President Vladimir Putin as the U.S. sounds the alarm over potential lethal aid being sent in the future to assist Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
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