Sponsors (13)
The bill forces a timely, evidence-based look at how tariffs affect prices and equity—giving consumers and lawmakers ammunition to pursue reforms—while imposing modest taxpayer-funded study costs and running the risk of political conflict or pressure to cut tariff revenue.
Low- and middle-income consumers could gain clearer evidence that tariffs disproportionately raise prices for them, creating a stronger basis for policy changes that could lower regressive price impacts.
Congress will receive a timely (one-year) evidence base that enables lawmakers to consider tariff reforms or relief to lower consumer prices or improve equity.
Women could gain visibility into tariff-driven price disparities (e.g., higher tariffs on women's clothing), enabling targeted reforms to address gendered price biases.
If the study prompts calls to reduce tariffs, federal tariff revenue could fall, increasing pressure on the federal budget or other taxes.
If the study's methods or findings are perceived as partisan or methodologically weak, it could fuel political disputes without producing consensus policy changes.
Preparing the required study will impose administrative costs on Treasury and customs agencies, paid by taxpayers.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Directs Treasury, in coordination with CBP and consulting USITC and USTR, to report within one year on how import tariffs disproportionately burden consumers, including gender and household impacts.
Official title: To require a study on the manner and extent to which the tariff rates assessed by the United States on imports are regressive or demonstrate a gender bias, and for other purposes.
Introduced March 11, 2025 by Elizabeth Pannill Fletcher · Last progress March 11, 2025
Requires the Secretary of the Treasury, working with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and consulting the U.S. International Trade Commission and the U.S. Trade Representative, to deliver a study to Congress within one year on how U.S. import tariffs and tariff revenues disproportionately burden consumers. The study must analyze regressivity across goods, any avoidance of importation to evade tariffs, gender differences in tariff rates (for example, women’s vs. men’s clothing), and impacts disaggregated by gender, household type, and income, plus other unequal burdens the Secretary deems relevant. The mandate is informational: it directs federal agencies to collect and analyze data and report findings to Congress to inform future policy choices about tariffs and their distributional effects.