PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Feb 7, 2025
China Technology Transfer Control Act of 2025
This bill controls exports of certain national interest technology and intellectual property to China.
Specifically, covered technology or intellectual property includes items that (1) would contribute significantly to the Chinese military to the detriment of U.S. national security, (2) are included in a designated list of product components compiled by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), or (3) are used by China to violate human rights or religious liberties.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
The President must control exports to China of any covered technology or intellectual property. Further, the President must sanction (1) a foreign person who sells to China or purchases from China any covered item, and (2) a Chinese person who knowingly uses a covered item provided to them in violation of U.S. export control law.
The USTR must compile a list of certain products from China that that are subject to the bill because they either receive designated support from the Chinese government or are used by China to violate human rights or religious liberties. The bill requires the USTR to include products from certain industries (e.g., civil aircraft, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and biotechnology) on the list.
People & committees
Rep. Green, Mark E. [R-TN-7] · R–TN
Legislative record
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Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Jul 3, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-02-07 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The proposed China Technology Transfer Control Act of 2025 would require U.S. controls on certain technology and intellectual property sent to or transferred within China. It would also require freezing assets under U.S. control for certain foreign sellers, providers, purchasers and Chinese users of that technology. A regularly updated list of Chinese products receiving government support or used for human-rights abuses would help define the technology covered. These are proposed requirements, not evidence of enacted law.
This Act may be cited as the China Technology Transfer Control Act of 2025.
the President shall control the export or re-export to, or transfer in, the People's Republic of China of any covered national interest technology or intellectual property subject to the jurisdiction of the United States or exported by any United States person.
The President shall, pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), block and prohibit all transactions in all property and interests in property of a person described in subsection (b) if such property and interests in property are in the United States, come within the United States, or are or come within the possession or control of a United States person.
Technology or intellectual property that is a component of the production of products included in the most recent list required under section 183 of the Trade Act of 1974, as added by section 6(a), determined in consultation with the United States Trade Representative.
Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of the China Technology Transfer Control Act of 2025, and annually thereafter, the United States Trade Representative shall set forth a list of products manufactured or produced in, or exported from, the People's Republic of China that are determined by— (1) the Trade Representative— (A) to receive support from the Government of the People's Republic of China pursuant to the Made in China 2025 Industrial policy of that Government; or (B) to otherwise receive support from that Government and that have or will in the future displace net exports of like products by the United States; or (2) the Secretary of State to be used by the Government of the People's Republic of China to carry out violations of human rights or religious liberties.
Covered technology and intellectual property would include items that significantly strengthen China's military potential to the detriment of U.S. national security, items used in producing products on the bill's required list, and technology China's government uses to violate human rights or religious liberties.
(A) Technology or intellectual property that would make a significant contribution to the military potential of the People’s Republic of China that would prove detrimental to the national security of the United States. (B) Technology or intellectual property that is a component of the production of products included in the most recent list required under section 183 of the Trade Act of 1974, as added by section 6(a), determined in consultation with the United States Trade Representative. (C) Technology used by the Government of the People's Republic of China to carry out violations of human rights or religious liberties.
The bill uses broad definitions of technology and intellectual property. Technology includes goods or services involving information systems, internet services, production logistics, robotics, artificial intelligence, biotechnology or computing. Intellectual property includes protected creative works, U.S. patents, federally registered trademarks, trade secrets and other forms of intellectual property.
(5) Intellectual property The term intellectual property means— (A) any work protected by a copyright under title 17, United States Code; (B) any property protected by a patent granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office under title 35, United States Code; (C) any word, name, symbol, or device, or any combination thereof, that is registered as a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office under the Act entitled An Act to provide for the registration and protection of trademarks used in commerce, to carry out the provisions of certain international conventions, and for other purposes, approved July 5, 1946 (commonly known as the Lanham Act or the Trademark Act of 1946) (15 U.S.C. 1051 et seq.); (D) a trade secret (as defined in section 1839 of title 18, United States Code); or (E) any other form of intellectual property.
(6) Technology The term technology includes goods or services relating to information systems, internet-based services, production-enhancing logistics, robotics, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, or computing.
A “Chinese person” would mean an individual who is a Chinese citizen or national, or an organization formed under Chinese law or otherwise subject to the Chinese government's jurisdiction.
(1) Chinese person The term Chinese person means— (A) an individual who is a citizen or national of the People's Republic of China; or (B) an entity organized under the laws of the People's Republic of China or otherwise subject to the jurisdiction of the Government of the People's Republic of China.
A “United States person” would include U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents and organizations formed under U.S. federal, state or other U.S. jurisdictional law, including their foreign branches. A “foreign person” would mean anyone outside that definition.
(7) United States person The term United States person means— (A) a United States citizen or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence to the United States; or (B) an entity organized under the laws of the United States or of any jurisdiction within the United States, including a foreign branch of such an entity.
(3) Foreign person The term foreign person means any person that is not a United States person.
The bill's “knowingly” standard would cover both actual knowledge and circumstances in which a person should have known about the conduct, circumstance or result.
(4) Knowingly The term knowingly, with respect to conduct, a circumstance, or a result, means that a person has actual knowledge, or should have known, of the conduct, the circumstance, or the result.
Section 3 expresses a proposed congressional position: the United States is committed to cultural and technological exchange with other countries and should protect itself when adversaries exploit those channels. It asserts that China seeks to exploit those channels through intellectual-property theft and manipulation of lawful technology transfers and uses in ways that support its military objectives and threaten the United States. These are statements of the bill's position, not demonstrated effects of its proposed controls.
It is the sense of Congress that— (1) while the United States is committed to promoting cultural and technological exchange with other countries, it is our responsibility to protect the United States when channels for such exchange are exploited by adversaries; and (2) the People's Republic of China consistently seeks to exploit those channels, not only in its theft of intellectual property but also in its manipulation of lawful transfer and uses of technology in ways that directly support its military objectives and threaten the United States.
Starting 180 days after enactment, the President would have to control exports and re-exports to China, and transfers within China, of covered technology or intellectual property. This would apply to items under U.S. jurisdiction or exported by a United States person.
(a) In general On and after the date that is 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall control the export or re-export to, or transfer in, the People's Republic of China of any covered national interest technology or intellectual property subject to the jurisdiction of the United States or exported by any United States person.
Within 90 days after enactment, the Secretaries of State and Commerce would have to jointly report to Congress on whether to use the International Traffic in Arms Regulations or the Export Administration Regulations—the two named export-control systems—to implement the controls.
(b) Report required Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Commerce shall jointly submit to Congress a report assessing whether covered national interest technology or intellectual property should be controlled as required by subsection (a) under— (1) the International Traffic in Arms Regulations under subchapter M of chapter I of title 22, Code of Federal Regulations; or (2) the Export Administration Regulations under subchapter C of chapter VII of title 15, Code of Federal Regulations.
The President would have to issue the regulations needed to carry out the export controls within 180 days after enactment.
(c) Regulations Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall prescribe such regulations as are necessary to carry out subsection (a).
For people and organizations meeting the sanctions criteria, the President would have to freeze property and prohibit transactions involving it when the property is in or enters the United States, or is held or controlled by a United States person.
(a) In general The President shall, pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), block and prohibit all transactions in all property and interests in property of a person described in subsection (b) if such property and interests in property are in the United States, come within the United States, or are or come within the possession or control of a United States person.
Sanctions would cover a foreign person who, on or after enactment, knowingly sells or otherwise provides covered technology or intellectual property to China, or knowingly purchases it from China, when the item is subject to U.S. jurisdiction.
(b) Persons described A person described in this subsection is— (1) a foreign person that, on or after the date of the enactment of this Act, knowingly sells or otherwise provides to, or knowingly purchases from, the People's Republic of China any covered national interest technology or intellectual property subject to the jurisdiction of the United States;
Sanctions would also cover a Chinese person who, on or after enactment, knowingly uses covered technology or intellectual property supplied to that person in violation of section 4 or another U.S. export-control law.
(2) a Chinese person that, on or after such date of enactment, knowingly uses covered national interest technology or intellectual property provided to the Chinese person in violation of section 4 or any other export control law of the United States.
The asset-blocking requirement would not authorize sanctions on importing goods. For this exception, goods include articles, substances, materials, supplies and manufactured products, including inspection and test equipment, but exclude technical data.
(c) Exception relating to importation of goods (1) In general The requirement to block and prohibit all transactions in all property and interests in property under subsection (a) shall not include the authority to impose sanctions on the importation of goods. (2) Good defined In this subsection, the term good means any article, natural or man-made substance, material, supply or manufactured product, including inspection and test equipment, and excluding technical data.
The President could waive sanctions for a person after determining, and reporting to Congress, that the waiver serves U.S. national security interests.
(d) Waiver The President may waive the imposition of sanctions under subsection (a) with respect to a person if the President determines and reports to Congress that the waiver is in the national security interests of the United States.
The President could use the powers in sections 203 and 205 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to implement these sanctions. The bill would make that law's section 202 national-emergency requirements inapplicable to this sanctions section.
(e) Implementation; penalties (1) Implementation The President may exercise all authorities provided under sections 203 and 205 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702 and 1704) to carry out this section.
(3) Inapplicability of national emergency requirement The requirements of section 202 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701) shall not apply for purposes of this section.
Violating, attempting or conspiring to violate, or causing a violation of the asset-blocking requirement or its implementing regulations, licenses or orders would trigger the penalties referenced in section 206(b) and (c) of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The bill does not reproduce those penalties.
(2) Penalties A person that violates, attempts to violate, conspires to violate, or causes a violation of subsection (a) or any regulation, license, or order issued to carry out that subsection shall be subject to the penalties set forth in subsections (b) and (c) of section 206 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1705) to the same extent as a person that commits an unlawful act described in subsection (a) of that section.
The bill would add a new section 183 to the Trade Act of 1974. It would require the United States Trade Representative to establish a list of specified products manufactured or produced in, or exported from, China within 120 days after enactment and annually afterward.
Chapter 8 of title I of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2241 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: 183. List of certain products receiving support from Government of People's Republic of China or used by that Government for human rights violations (a) In general Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of the China Technology Transfer Control Act of 2025, and annually thereafter, the United States Trade Representative shall set forth a list of products manufactured or produced in, or exported from, the People's Republic of China
The list would cover products the Trade Representative determines receive support under China's Made in China 2025 industrial policy. It would also cover other Chinese-government-supported products determined to displace, now or in the future, U.S. net exports of similar products. A separate category would cover products the Secretary of State determines China's government uses to violate human rights or religious liberties.
that are determined by— (1) the Trade Representative— (A) to receive support from the Government of the People's Republic of China pursuant to the Made in China 2025 Industrial policy of that Government; or (B) to otherwise receive support from that Government and that have or will in the future displace net exports of like products by the United States; or (2) the Secretary of State to be used by the Government of the People's Republic of China to carry out violations of human rights or religious liberties.
For the Made in China 2025 category, the Trade Representative would have to include products specified in four named Chinese policy documents. The requirement would also reach other documents expressing a related national strategy or goal, issued by China's government, its Communist Party, or another organization or individual capable of influencing China's national strategy.
(1) In general The Trade Representative shall include in the list under subsection (a)(1)(A) any product specified in the following documents set forth by the Government of the People's Republic of China: (A) Notice on Issuing Made in China 2025. (B) China Manufacturing 2025. (C) Notice on Issuing the 13th Five-year National Strategic Emerging Industries Development Plan. (D) Guiding Opinion on Promoting International Industrial Capacity and Equipment Manufacturing Cooperation. (E) Any other document that expresses a national strategy or stated goal in connection with the Made in China 2025 industrial policy set forth by the Government of the People's Republic of China, the Communist Party of China, or another entity or individual capable of impacting the national strategy of the People's Republic of China.
The bill would additionally require listing products in these industries: civilian aircraft, turbine engines, motor vehicles, advanced medical and construction equipment, agricultural machinery, railway equipment, diesel locomotives, freight movement, semiconductors, lithium battery manufacturing, artificial intelligence, high-capacity and quantum computing, robotics and biotechnology.
(2) Included products In addition to such products as the Trade Representative shall include pursuant to paragraph (1) in the list under subsection (a)(1)(A), the Trade Representative shall include products in the following industries: (A) Civil aircraft. (B) Turbine engines. (C) Motor car and vehicle. (D) Advanced medical equipment. (E) Advanced construction equipment. (F) Agricultural machinery. (G) Railway equipment. (H) Diesel locomotive. (I) Moving freight. (J) Semiconductor. (K) Lithium battery manufacturing. (L) Artificial intelligence. (M) High-capacity computing. (N) Quantum computing. (O) Robotics. (P) Biotechnology.
The supplied actions snapshot, updated July 3, 2025, records that the bill was introduced in the House on February 7, 2025, and referred that day to the Foreign Affairs and Ways and Means Committees for provisions within their respective jurisdictions.
Source snapshot updated 2025-07-03T13:29:01Z.
2025-02-07: Introduced in House
2025-02-07: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-02-07. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy change attached to appropriations was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish the contents or attachment history of other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version; formal earmark status in other versions or accompanying materials cannot be established from the supplied sources.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No materially narrow carve-out, special exemption or preferential treatment warranting a targeted-benefit finding was identified after reviewing the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Jul 3, 2025. How PlainBill uses AI