Several Republican senators filed a bill on Friday to end China’s Permanent Normal Trade Status (PNTR), citing concerns over American job losses and human rights abuses overseas.
The China Trade Relations Act, which would strip China of its PNTR, was filed by U.S. Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Rick Scott, R-Fla., Ted Budd, R-N.C., and J.D. Vance, R-Ohio.
If passed, according to the bill language, it would revert China’s Most Favored Nation (MFN) status to a pre-2001 designation, requiring its status to be renewed every year by the president with congressional approval. The bill would give Congress the authority to override a presidential extension of MFN status by passing a joint resolution of disapproval.
It also would expand the list of human-rights and trade abuses under the Jackson-Vanik Amendment, which would disqualify China for MFN status altogether, absent a presidential waiver.
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