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This bill would make it harder for the President to add new tariffs or raise existing tariffs on goods coming from U.S. allies and free trade partners. Before doing so, the President would have to send Congress a detailed request explaining the reason for the tariff, why other options would not work, and what effect it could have on U.S. foreign policy, national security, and the economy. Congress would then have to pass a joint resolution approving the action before the tariff could take effect.
The bill covers imports from NATO countries, countries named as major non-NATO allies, and countries that have a free trade agreement with the United States.
It applies to several kinds of tariff powers the President can use, including emergency and trade-related authorities.
The President’s request to Congress must explain the goal of the tariff, why diplomacy or trade dispute processes would not work better, and how the tariff would affect the U.S. economy and key industries.
A member of Congress could introduce a simple approval resolution, and Congress would use expedited procedures to consider it.
Official Summaries
Stopping Tariffs on Allies and Bolstering Legislative Exercise of Trade Policy Act or the STABLE Trade Policy Act
This bill requires the President to receive congressional approval in order to proclaim or increase the rates of duty (i.e., tariffs) on articles imported into the United States from covered countries. Under the bill, a covered country is (1) a member country of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), (2) a country that has been designated as a major non-NATO ally under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (e.g., Australia, Israel, and Japan), or (3) a country that has in effect a free trade agreement with the United States.
Specifically, the President may proclaim a new or additional covered duty (e.g., a duty proclaimed pursuant to Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962) on an article imported into the United States from a covered country only if (1) the President submits to Congress a request for authorization to proclaim or increase the duty and the request contains specified information, such as a description of the objective the President seeks to achieve with the action and an assessment of the likely impact on the U.S. economy; and (2) a joint resolution of approval is enacted into law.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 348 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 348
To limit the authority of the President to impose new or additional
duties with respect to articles imported from countries that are allies
or free trade agreement partners of the United States.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 30, 2025
Mr. Coons (for himself and Mr. Kaine) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To limit the authority of the President to impose new or additional
duties with respect to articles imported from countries that are allies
or free trade agreement partners of the United States.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Stopping Tariffs on Allies and
Bolstering Legislative Exercise of Trade Policy Act'' or the ``STABLE
Trade Policy Act''.
SEC. 2. LIMITATION ON AUTHORITY OF THE PRESIDENT TO IMPOSE DUTIES ON
ALLIES AND FREE TRADE AGREEMENT PARTNERS OF THE UNITED
STATES.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Covered country.--The term ``covered country'' means--
(A) a member country of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization;
(B) a country that has been designated as a major
non-NATO ally under section 517 of the Foreign
Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2321k); or
(C) a country that has in effect a free trade
agreement with the United States.
(2) Covered duty.--The term ``covered duty'' means a duty
proclaimed pursuant to--
(A) section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962
(19 U.S.C. 1862);
(B) section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19
U.S.C. 1338);
(C) the Trading with the Enemy Act (50 U.S.C. 4301
et seq.); or
(D) the International Emergency Economic Powers Act
(50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.).
(b) Authority To Proclaim or Increase Duty Rates.--Notwithstanding
any other provision of law, the President may proclaim a new or
additional covered duty with respect to an article imported into the
United States from a covered country, only if--
(1) the President submits to Congress a request for
authorization to proclaim or increase the duty that includes--
(A) a description of the objective the President
seeks to achieve through the proclamation or increase
of the duty;
(B) an explanation of why such objective cannot be
achieved more effectively through diplomatic
engagement, trade dispute resolution processes, or
other mechanisms;
(C) an assessment of the likely impact of the duty
on the foreign policy and national security interests
of the United States; and
(D) an assessment of the likely impact of the
proposal on the economy of the United States as a whole
and on any relevant industry sector; and
(2) a joint resolution of approval under subsection (c) is
enacted into law.
(c) Joint Resolution of Approval.--
(1) Joint resolution of approval defined.--In this
subsection, the term ``joint resolution of approval'' means a
joint resolution the sole matter after the resolving clause of
which is as follows: ``That Congress authorizes the President
to proclaim duty rates as set forth in the request of the
President submitted to Congress on ___________'', with the
blank space being filled with the date of the request submitted
under subsection (b)(1).
(2) Introduction.--A joint resolution of approval may be
introduced in either House of Congress by any Member during the
15-legislative day period beginning on the date on which the
President submits to Congress the request under subsection
(b)(1).
(3) Expedited procedures.--The provisions of subsections
(b) through (f) of section 152 of the Trade Act of 1974 (19
U.S.C. 2192) apply to a joint resolution of approval to the
same extent that such subsections apply to joint resolutions
under such section 152.
(4) Rules of the senate and the house of representatives.--
This subsection is enacted by Congress--
(A) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the
Senate and the House of Representatives, respectively,
and as such is deemed a part of the rules of each
House, respectively, but applicable only with respect
to the procedure to be followed in that House in the
case of a joint resolution of approval, and supersedes
other rules only to the extent that it is inconsistent
with such rules; and
(B) 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.
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