S. 206: Restoring Trade Fairness Act
A Senate bill (S.) in the 119th U.S. Congress.
Overview
| Congress | 119th U.S. Congress (2025–2026) |
|---|---|
| Type | Senate bill (S.) |
| Originating chamber | Senate |
| Introduced | 2025-01-23 |
| Sponsor | Sen. Cotton, Tom [R-AR] |
| Policy area | Foreign Trade and International Finance |
| Cosponsors | 3 |
| Latest action | 2025-01-23 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. |
| Last updated | 2025-12-05 |
Summary
Official summary (Introduced in Senate, 2025-01-23):
Restoring Trade Fairness Act
This bill establishes various trade measures related to China, including by revoking China's permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) status and increasing the rates of duty (i.e., tariffs) on Chinese imported goods. The bill prohibits imported goods originating from North Korea, China, Russia, or Iran from receiving de minimis treatment. (Current law allows for U.S. imports under a de minimis threshold of $800 per shipment to enter free of tariffs, fees, and taxes.)
Specifically, the bill revokes China's PNTR status. Currently, China's PNTR status allows for Chinese goods to have duty rates set forth in column 1 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS). With the removal of China's PNTR status, the bill generally sets the applicable duty rates on imported Chinese goods at the higher rates listed in column 2 of the HTS, with exceptions.
The bill establishes a minimum duty rate of 35% for all Chinese goods, which requires column 2 rates to be at least 35%. However, the bill establishes a minimum duty rate of 100% for a list of specified goods (e.g., various minerals, certain vaccines and drugs, and certain defense-related articles). Duty rates are phased in over five years and adjusted annually for inflation.
The bill also
- authorizes the President to take additional actions related to trade with China,
- requires merchandise imported from China to be appraised based on U.S. value, and
- establishes a trust fund to compensate U.S. producers for lost revenue resulting from retaliatory actions by China.
Cosponsors (3)
| Name | Party / state |
|---|---|
| Jim Banks | R IN (original cosponsor) 2025-01-23 |
| Josh Hawley | R MO (original cosponsor) 2025-01-23 |
| Pete Ricketts | R NE 2025-03-11 |
Full text & official record
The official bill text, section-by-section summary, amendments, committee reports, and the complete legislative timeline for S. 206 are published by Congress on congress.gov.
Frequently asked questions
What is S. 206?
S. 206 is a Senate bill (S.) introduced in the 119th U.S. Congress, originating in the Senate. Official title: Restoring Trade Fairness Act.
Where can I read the full bill text?
The full text, cosponsors, amendments, and legislative status for S. 206 are available on congress.gov.
Bill data: congress.gov API (official congressional records).