House Speaker Wants to Move de Minimis Bill

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said July 8 that he hopes to have a "significant package of China-related legislation" signed into law this year, including a provision that moved out of the House Ways and Means Committee that would make goods subject to Section 301 tariffs ineligible for de minimis treatment. All goods from China would have to enter with a 10-digit Harmonized Tariff Schedule classification code upon entry so that CBP could enforce the law. That bill also included new penalties for de minimis violations beyond forfeiture of the package (see 2404180068). Johnson said these changes would "rein in the de minimis privilege" that China is exploiting.

The bill didn't get any Democratic support in committee.

The legislation also might include restrictions on outbound investment to China, Johnson told the Hudson Institute (see 2401180067).

With China posing "the greatest threat to global peace, Congress must keep our focus on countering China with every tool at our disposal," Johnson said. "We’ll work aggressively toward that package. I’m very hopeful that much of this can be bipartisan.”

Johnson also said he wants the House Select Committee on China, which was created in January 2023 (see 2301100079), to continue its efforts next year when the new Congress convenes. He praised the committee's work, including its advocacy of a new law that will ban TikTok in the U.S. if China’s ByteDance doesn't sell the popular social media application (see 2403050063 and 2405070049).

The Senate also is working to craft major China legislation. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., said last month that he is making progress in putting together a China bill (see 2406130071).