Ways & Means Chair Brays over 301 Review Delays

In a letter to United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai on Tuesday, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO), and Trade Subcommittee Chairman Adrian Smith (R-NE), repeated calls for the Biden Administration conclude its review of the 2018 Section 301 tariffs on China. 

The Trade Act of 1974 requires trade enforcement actions to be reviewed every four years. The Biden administration initiated that review in May 2022, nearly four years after the Trump Administration tariffs were put into place.

"Two years later, the Biden Administration has yet to complete the review, leaving uncertain the future of the United States’ ability to combat China’s unfair trade practices," the letter reads..

“It took President Trump only about eight months to conclude the extensive original Section 301 investigation into China’s unfair trade practices, and only about another four months to impose the resulting tariffs.

"In contrast, the Biden administration has taken two years to study the effectiveness of the tariffs President Trump imposed and their connection to the U.S. relationship with China going forward,

“Continued inaction on the four-year review poses serious risks for U.S. farmers, manufacturers, innovators, small businesses, and workers.

The letter follows a Ways and Means Committee hearing in April with Ambassador Tai during which Ways and Means Republicans pushed the Biden Administration to complete its long-running review of the Section 301 tariffs in order to maximize the effectiveness of trade enforcement against China.