POLISCOPE
Back to bills
Part ofForeign Policy →

The civic record

Read. Follow. Verify.
S2761FEDERALFederal Billin committee
High Impact

DETER Act of 2023

Last action · September 11, 2023: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.Sponsor: James Lankford

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.

What This Bill Would Do

This bill proposes a mechanism to revoke '' with China if the President determines that China has engaged in military aggression or coercion against Taiwan. It also mandates annual reports on Chinese military activity and requires the government to assess U.S. supply chain reliance on Chinese goods.

Why it matters

If passed, this bill could lead to significant increases in tariffs on all goods imported from China if the President certifies that China has violated Taiwan's sovereignty, directly impacting the cost and availability of consumer goods in the United States.

Who It Would Affect

Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

U.S. Consumers

Consumers may face price changes for goods imported from China if trade relations are suspended.

Directly affected

U.S. Importers

Businesses that rely on Chinese imports would be subject to higher tariff rates if the President determines China has violated Taiwan's sovereignty.

Directly affected

The President of the United States

The President is mandated to perform annual certifications and reporting regarding Chinese military activity.

Key Facts

  • The President must submit an annual report certifying whether China has engaged in military aggression or coercion against Taiwan.
  • If the President cannot certify that China has refrained from such aggression, normal trade relations with China must be suspended 30 days after the report is submitted.
  • Upon suspension of normal trade relations, all Chinese products would be subject to 'column 2' tariff rates, which are generally higher than standard rates.
  • The President must consult with Congress at least 5 days before issuing a proclamation to increase tariff rates.
Show all 10 facts
  • Normal trade relations can be restored if the President submits a subsequent report certifying that no such aggression occurred in the preceding year.
  • The Secretary of Commerce must conduct an annual assessment of U.S. supply chain reliance on Chinese goods critical to national security and economic stability.
  • The Commerce Department must publish an unclassified version of the supply chain assessment on a public website.
  • The President is granted authority to waive the trade suspension for one year if deemed in the national interest.
  • Members of Congress may submit written inquiries to the President between annual reports to verify the status of the most recent certification.
  • The bill cites a 178% increase in Chinese military aircraft incursions into Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone between 2021 and 2022.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if this bill becomes law?
The President would be required to report annually on whether China has acted aggressively toward Taiwan. If aggression is found, the U.S. would revoke China's '' status, leading to higher tariffs on Chinese imports.
Will this affect the price of goods I buy?
Yes, if trade relations are suspended, the bill requires the application of higher tariff rates to Chinese products, which would likely increase the cost of those goods.
Can the President waive these trade penalties?
Yes, the bill allows the President to waive the trade suspension for one year if they determine it is in the national interest.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Follow the record

Votes, people, money & the original source

Where This Stands

Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Last action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.Sep 11, 2023

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Sponsors

James LankfordPrimary sponsor

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

Linkage of Trade to Sovereignty

The bill creates a direct, automatic legislative link between the President's certification of Chinese military conduct toward Taiwan and the revocation of trade status.

People's Republic of ChinaTaiwan

Connected Entities

Taiwan, Committee on Finance, Department of Commerce and 3 more
locationTaiwan“The focus of the security and sovereignty concerns in the bill.”Map →
otherCommittee on Finance“mentioned”Map →
OrganizationDepartment of Commerce“Tasked with assessing supply chain vulnerabilities.”Map →
OrganizationPeople's Republic of China“The primary subject of the trade and military provisions.”Map →
PersonJames Lankford“United States Senator who introduced the bill.”Map →
otherU.S. Senate“mentioned”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.congress.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance85
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy75
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment20
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz40
    Current news / social attention level

Publisher tools

Share or embed this record

POLISCOPE publisher tools

Share or embed this record