Ending China's Unfair Advantage Act of 2025
The Ending China's Unfair Advantage Act of 2025 would withhold U.S. funding from two major international climate/ozone regimes—the Montreal Protocol and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)—until China is no longer classified as a developing country. Specifically, the bill requires presidential certification that international parties have amended their decisions to remove China from the developing-country category under the Montreal Protocol, and to include China in Annex I of the UNFCCC (the list of developed countries). In short, if China remains defined as a developing country, the United States could not fund activities, meetings, or funds associated with these agreements. The aim, as stated in the title, is to push for a reclassification of China in global environmental regimes.
Key Points
- 1Prohibits use of federal funds to implement the Montreal Protocol and its funding mechanisms until China is removed from the developing-country designation (via an amendment to Decision I/12E).
- 2Prohibits use of federal funds to fund operations, meetings, and funds under the UNFCCC and its agreements until China is included in Annex I of the Convention.
- 3Requires the President to certify to the appropriate congressional committees that the international parties have made the necessary amendments (removing China from “developing countries” for the Montreal Protocol and including China in Annex I for the UNFCCC).
- 4Uses a broad “notwithstanding any other provision of law” clause, ensuring these prohibitions take precedence over other funding authorities.
- 5Defines the key terms and identifies the “appropriate congressional committees” that must receive certifications (Senate Foreign Relations and Appropriations; House Foreign Affairs and Appropriations).