Summary

Requires Congress to approve any new presidential imposition of import duties by passing a joint resolution after the President submits a proposal and written rationale. The rule applies going forward and does not stop the President from imposing full embargoes that exclude all articles or an entire type of article from a country.

• Makes congressional approval (a joint resolution enacted into law) required before the President can impose new import duties under covered trade laws.
• Requires the President to submit a proposal and written rationale to Congress before imposing a duty.
• Applies on and after enactment — it is a prospective rule, not retroactive to existing duties.
• Exempts embargoes that fully exclude all articles or a whole type of article from a country from the congressional-approval requirement.
• Adds the new provision into the Trade Act of 1974's text and updates the act's table of contents.
• Shifts final decision-making authority on new import duties from the executive branch to a process that requires legislative enactment.
• Could slow or complicate rapid use of tariffs as a policy tool and increase the role of politics in trade responses.
• Increases formal oversight by Congress and creates new procedural paperwork and timing requirements for the executive branch.