PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, 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 21, 2025
China Trade Relations Act of 2025
This bill withdraws normal trade relations treatment from China and expands the bases of ineligibility for this treatment to include specified violations of human rights and other actions by China.
Specifically, during any period in which China engages in specified activities (e.g., performing forced abortion or sterilization or operating concentration camps where people are held against their will) or does not comply with certain standards (1) products from China shall not be eligible to receive nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations), (2) China may not participate in any U.S. program that extends credits or credit guarantees or investment guarantees, and (3) the President may not conclude any commercial agreement with China.
People & committees
Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4] · R–NJ
Legislative record
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Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, 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 Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, 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: May 13, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-02-21 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.
This proposal would withdraw the existing statutory basis for normal trade relations—nondiscriminatory trade treatment—for products from China. Future access to that treatment, certain U.S. government financing programs, and commercial agreements would depend on presidential assessments of specified human-rights and other practices. The President could temporarily waive the new restrictions and reporting requirements under specified conditions, with extensions subject to congressional disapproval.
normal trade relations treatment shall not apply pursuant to section 101 of that Act to the products of the People’s Republic of China
After the date of the enactment of this subsection, products of the People's Republic of China may be eligible to receive nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations), the People's Republic of China may participate in any program of the Government of the United States which extends credits or credit guarantees or investment guarantees, and the President may conclude a commercial agreement with the People's Republic of China, only after the President has submitted to Congress a report indicating that the People's Republic of China is not in violation of any of clauses (i) through (ix) of paragraph (1)(A).
The President is authorized to waive by Executive order the application of paragraphs (1) and (2) for a 12-month period if the President submits to Congress a report
If a joint resolution of disapproval is enacted into law pursuant to paragraph (5), the waiver authority granted under paragraph (3) shall cease to be effective as of the day after the 60-day period beginning on the date of the enactment of the joint resolution.
Section 1 would name the bill the China Trade Relations Act of 2025.
This Act may be cited as the China Trade Relations Act of 2025.
On enactment, section 2 would stop normal trade relations treatment for Chinese products under section 101 of Public Law 106–286, overriding conflicting law.
Notwithstanding the provisions of title I of Public Law 106–286 (114 Stat. 880) or any other provision of law, effective on the date of the enactment of this Act— (1) normal trade relations treatment shall not apply pursuant to section 101 of that Act to the products of the People’s Republic of China
Normal trade relations treatment could subsequently be extended to Chinese products only through the specified Trade Act of 1974 provisions as they applied to China immediately before its World Trade Organization accession. The supplied source does not reproduce that earlier framework, so its full requirements cannot be described from this text alone.
normal trade relations treatment may thereafter be extended to the products of the People's Republic of China only in accordance with the provisions of chapter 1 of title IV of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2431 et seq.), as in effect with respect to the products of the People’s Republic of China on the day before the effective date of the accession of the People’s Republic of China to the World Trade Organization
Section 2 would deem the extension of waiver authority that applied to China immediately before its World Trade Organization accession not to have expired. That extension would continue until 90 days after enactment.
the extension of waiver authority that was in effect with respect to the People’s Republic of China under section 402(d)(1) of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2432(d)(1)) on the day before the effective date of the accession of the People’s Republic of China to the World Trade Organization shall, upon the enactment of this Act, be deemed not to have expired, and shall continue in effect until the date that is 90 days after the date of such enactment.
Section 3 would add restrictions beginning with a presidential determination under its listed criteria. During that period, Chinese products would be ineligible for normal trade relations treatment, China could not participate in U.S. government programs extending credits, credit guarantees, or investment guarantees directly or indirectly, and the President could not conclude a commercial agreement with China. The trigger joins clauses (i) through (ix) with “and,” while the termination provision refers to violations of “any” clause; the text does not clearly resolve whether one criterion alone would trigger the restriction period.
Products from the People's Republic of China shall not be eligible to receive nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations), the People's Republic of China shall not participate in any program of the Government of the United States which extends credits or credit guarantees or investment guarantees, directly or indirectly, and the President shall not conclude any commercial agreement with the People's Republic of China, during the period— (A) beginning with the date on which the President determines that the People's Republic of China—
(viii) engages in systematic economic espionage against the United States, including theft of the intellectual property of United States persons; and (ix) has not made significant progress on—
(B) ending on the date on which the President determines that the People's Republic of China is no longer in violation of any of clauses (i) through (ix) of subparagraph (A).
The proposed criteria include violations of existing section 402(a)(1)–(3), failure to substantially promote the section's freedom of emigration objectives, noncompliance with the specified 1992 prison-labor trade agreement, and noncompliance with International Labour Organization standards. The referenced subsection, agreement, and standards are not reproduced in the supplied source.
(i) is in violation of paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of subsection (a); (ii) has not substantially promoted the freedom of emigration objectives of this section; (iii) has not complied with the China-United States Memorandum of Understanding on Prohibiting Import and Export Trade in Prison Labor Products, done at Washington, DC, on August 7, 1992; (iv) has not complied with International Labour Organization standards;
Other proposed criteria concern camps holding people against their will, intimidation or harassment of Chinese nationals abroad, failure to protect Tibet's religious and cultural heritage, and systematic economic espionage against the United States, including intellectual-property theft. These are proposed assessment criteria, not factual findings established by the bill.
(v) operates vocational training and education centers or other concentration camps where people are held against their will; (vi) intimidates or harasses nationals of the People's Republic of China living outside the People's Republic of China; (vii) fails to protect Tibet’s distinctive religious and cultural heritage; (viii) engages in systematic economic espionage against the United States, including theft of the intellectual property of United States persons;
The bill would also assess significant progress toward beginning to follow the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, eliminating torture, and releasing and acceptably accounting for Chinese citizens detained for nonviolent expression of political and religious beliefs. The detention criterion expressly includes beliefs connected with independence for Hong Kong and Taiwan.
(ix) has not made significant progress on— (I) taking steps to begin adhering to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; (II) eliminating the use of torture; (III) releasing and providing an acceptable accounting for Chinese citizens imprisoned or detained for the non-violent expression of their political and religious beliefs, including such expression of beliefs in connection with the independence of Hong Kong and Taiwan;
The significant-progress criteria also cover humane prisoner treatment, access for international humanitarian and human-rights organizations, international radio and television broadcasts into China, ending organ harvesting from prisoners without consent, and ending the performance or ordering of forced abortion or sterilization procedures.
(ix) has not made significant progress on—
(IV) ensuring humane treatment of prisoners, such as by allowing access to prisons by international humanitarian and human rights organizations; (V) permitting international radio and television broadcasts into China; (VI) humanely treating prisoners; (VII) allowing access to international humanitarian and human rights organizations; (VIII) ceasing harvesting the organs of prisoners without their consent; or (IX) ceasing performing and otherwise ordering forced abortion or sterilization procedures;
The restriction period would end when the President determines that China is no longer in violation of any of the nine listed clauses.
(B) ending on the date on which the President determines that the People's Republic of China is no longer in violation of any of clauses (i) through (ix) of subparagraph (A).
Unless waived, eligibility for normal trade relations treatment, participation in the specified government financing programs, and conclusion of a commercial agreement would require a prior presidential report to Congress stating that China violates none of the nine clauses. The report would satisfy this reporting prerequisite, without requiring those actions or establishing that all requirements of the referenced laws have been met.
After the date of the enactment of this subsection, products of the People's Republic of China may be eligible to receive nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations), the People's Republic of China may participate in any program of the Government of the United States which extends credits or credit guarantees or investment guarantees, and the President may conclude a commercial agreement with the People's Republic of China, only after the President has submitted to Congress a report indicating that the People's Republic of China is not in violation of any of clauses (i) through (ix) of paragraph (1)(A).
The President is authorized to waive by Executive order the application of paragraphs (1) and (2) for a 12-month period
The report would describe China's relevant laws and policies and how they are implemented. Reports would be due by June 30 and December 31 each year while any of the specified trade treatment, financing participation, or commercial agreements continues, subject to the waiver provision.
The report required by subparagraph (A) shall include information as to the nature and implementation of laws and policies of the People's Republic of China relating to the matters specified in clauses (i) through (ix) of paragraph (1)(A).
The report required by subparagraph (A) shall be submitted on or before each June 30 and December 31 of each year for as long as products of the People's Republic of China receive nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations), the People's Republic of China participates in any program of the Government of the United States which extends credits or credit guarantees or investment guarantees, or a commercial agreement with the People's Republic of China is in effect.
The President is authorized to waive by Executive order the application of paragraphs (1) and (2) for a 12-month period
The President could issue a 12-month waiver by executive order, conditioned on submitting a report to Congress stating a determination that the waiver would substantially promote the subsection's objectives and receipt of assurances that China's future practices would substantially advance those objectives.
The President is authorized to waive by Executive order the application of paragraphs (1) and (2) for a 12-month period if the President submits to Congress a report that the President— (i) has determined that such waiver will substantially promote the objectives of this subsection; and (ii) has received assurances that the practices of the People's Republic of China relating to the matters specified in clauses (i) through (ix) of paragraph (1)(A) will in the future lead substantially to the achievement of the objectives of this subsection.
A waiver would terminate on the earlier of the day after the underlying waiver authority ceases under the extension rules or the effective date of an executive order ending the waiver.
A waiver under subparagraph (A) shall terminate on the earlier of— (i) the day after the waiver authority granted by this paragraph ceases to be effective under paragraph (4); or (ii) the effective date of an Executive order providing for termination of the waiver.
The President could recommend successive 12-month extensions of waiver authority upon determining that extension would substantially promote the subsection's objectives. Recommendations would have to be submitted to both chambers at least 30 days before expiration and explain the reasons for extension and for continuing the waiver.
If the President determines that the further extension of the waiver authority granted under paragraph (3) will substantially promote the objectives of this subsection, the President may recommend further extensions of such authority for successive 12-month periods. Any such recommendations shall— (i) be made not later than 30 days before the expiration of such authority; (ii) be made in a document submitted to the House of Representatives and the Senate setting forth the reasons of the President for recommending the extension of such authority; and (iii) include— (I) a determination that continuation of the waiver will substantially promote the objectives of this subsection; and (II) a statement setting forth the reasons of the President for such determination.
A presidential recommendation would continue waiver authority for the next 12-month period unless Congress completes the specified disapproval process. Congress would have to adopt and send the President a joint resolution before the end of the 60-day period beginning when the authority otherwise would expire. If vetoed, both chambers would also have to override the veto within the prescribed deadline.
If the President recommends under subparagraph (A) the further extension of the waiver authority granted under paragraph (3), such authority shall continue in effect until the end of the 12-month period following the end of the previous 12-month extension, unless— (i) Congress adopts and transmits to the President a joint resolution of disapproval under paragraph (5) before the end of the 60-day period beginning on the date the waiver authority would expire but for an extension under subparagraph (A); and (ii) if the President vetoes the joint resolution, each House of Congress votes to override the veto on or before the later of— (I) the last day of the 60-day period referred to in clause (i); or (II) the last day of the 15-day period (excluding any day described in section 154(b)) beginning on the date on which Congress receives the veto message from the President.
The veto-override deadline would be the later of the end of that 60-day period or the end of a 15-day period beginning when Congress receives the veto message. The 15-day calculation would exclude days described in section 154(b), whose text is not supplied.
each House of Congress votes to override the veto on or before the later of— (I) the last day of the 60-day period referred to in clause (i); or (II) the last day of the 15-day period (excluding any day described in section 154(b)) beginning on the date on which Congress receives the veto message from the President.
If a disapproval resolution becomes law under the specified process, waiver authority would cease the day after a 60-day period beginning on that resolution's enactment date.
If a joint resolution of disapproval is enacted into law pursuant to paragraph (5), the waiver authority granted under paragraph (3) shall cease to be effective as of the day after the 60-day period beginning on the date of the enactment of the joint resolution.
The bill prescribes the wording of a disapproval resolution and invokes procedures in section 152(b)–(f), substituting “Consideration” for “Debate” when applying section 152(e)(2). Those referenced procedures are not supplied. Its procedural subparagraph says “joint resolution of approval,” while the surrounding provisions concern disapproval, leaving a textual inconsistency whose effect cannot be resolved from the supplied evidence.
the term joint resolution of disapproval means a joint resolution the matter after the resolving clause of which is as follows: That Congress does not approve the extension of the authority contained in paragraph (3) of section 402(f) of the Trade Act of 1974 with respect to the People's Republic of China recommended by the President to Congress under paragraph (4) of that section on ___., with the blank space being filled with the appropriate date.
The provisions of subsections (b) through (f) of section 152 shall apply with respect to a joint resolution of approval to the same extent and in the same manner as such provisions apply with respect to a resolution described in subsection (a) of that section, except that subsection (e)(2) of that section shall be applied and administered by substituting Consideration for Debate.
The congressional procedures would operate as rules of each chamber, superseding other rules only where inconsistent. Each chamber would retain its ability to change its own rules.
as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the House of Representatives and the Senate, respectively, and as such is deemed a part of the rules of each House, respectively, and supersedes other rules only to the extent that it is inconsistent with such other rules
with full recognition of the constitutional right of either House to change the rules (so far as relating to the procedure of that House) at any time, in the same manner and to the same extent as in the case of any other rule of that House.
Section 3 would rename Trade Act section 402 “East-West trade and human rights” and update the table of contents accordingly.
in the section heading, by striking Freedom of emigration in East-West trade and inserting East-West trade and human rights
The table of contents for the Trade Act of 1974 is amended by striking the item relating to section 402 and inserting the following: Sec. 402. East-West trade and human rights.
The supplied actions snapshot, updated May 13, 2026, records introduction in the House on February 21, 2025, and referral that day to Ways and Means and Rules for provisions within their respective jurisdictions.
Source snapshot updated 2026-05-13T13:25:30Z.
2025-02-21: Introduced in House
2025-02-21: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, 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 · 2025-02-21. 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 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.
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 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; formal earmark status cannot be established beyond the supplied evidence.
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: May 13, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI