HR 2464119th CongressIn Committee

Repealing Outdated and Unilateral Tariff Authorities Act

Introduced: Mar 27, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

This bill, titled the Repealing Outdated and Unilateral Tariff Authorities Act, would repealing Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1338). In plain terms, it removes a specific provision that currently grants the President certain unilateral (i.e., without immediate Congress action) tariff powers. The bill does not replace this authority with another mechanism; it simply eliminates it. As a result, any tariff actions previously enabled by Section 338 would need to be authorized through other statutory authority or by Congress, potentially enhancing legislative oversight over tariff decisions and reducing the executive branch’s ability to act unilaterally in this area.

Key Points

1The bill’s short title is the “Repealing Outdated and Unilateral Tariff Authorities Act.”
2It repeals Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1338) in its entirety.
3By removing this unilateral authority, the President’s ability to impose or modify tariffs under that specific provision would no longer be available.
4The repeal increases potential congressional control over tariff policy, aligning tariff decisions more closely with legislative action.
5The bill does not modify or repeal other tariff provisions or authorities beyond Section 338.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- Domestic industries, importers, and consumers who could be affected by tariff policy and price changes; workers in sectors sensitive to trade protection or retaliation.Secondary group/area affected- Government agencies implementing trade policy (e.g., Office of the United States Trade Representative, Department of Commerce, International Trade Commission) and Congressional decision-makers who would retain or regain authority over tariff actions.Additional impacts- Trade policy process and dynamics may shift toward greater legislative involvement, potentially affecting the speed and discretion with which tariff measures can be changed.- Possible implications for international trade relations and alignment with World Trade Organization norms, depending on how other authorities and actions are used to achieve similar goals.

Generated by gpt-5-nano on Nov 18, 2025