Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R Mo.) introduced the Declaring Our Energy Independence From China Act to counter the Biden Administration’s energy surrender to America’s greatest adversary. This new legislation would raise tariffs on China’s green-energy goods to prioritize and protect U.S. energy independence.
“President Biden’s climate agenda undermines U.S. energy independence and will make us more reliant on China,” said Senator Hawley. “We can’t afford energy policies that enrich our greatest adversary at the expense of American workers here at home. It’s time to declare our energy independence from China—and we can start by raising tariffs on China’s green energy sector.”
Last week, Senator Hawley introduced the Protecting American Autoworkers from China Act, new legislation that would counter the threat posed to the U.S. auto industry by raising tariffs on autos imported from China and closing the backdoor Chinese automakers use to evade U.S. trade laws.
In May of 2023, Senator Hawley introduced the Raising Tariffs on Imports from China Act which would require the President to impose an additional tariff of 25 percent on all goods imported from China if a bilateral deficit is recorded during the preceding calendar year.
Senator Hawley’s Declaring Our Energy Independence From China Act will:
- Require the President to apply additional tariffs to all battery components, solar energy components, and wind energy components imported from China at a 25 percent rate.
- Require the President to increase the 25 percent rate by an additional five percent each of the following five years, for a final rate of 50 percent.
- Require the United States Trade Representative to submit to Congress a report detailing the extent to which China has, during the preceding 15 years, provided industrial subsidies to its battery, solar energy, and wind energy sectors.
Read the full bill text here.