Hinson Reintroduces Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Crack Down on CCP’s Trade Violations that Hurt American Workers

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (IA-02) reintroduced the bipartisan, bicameral Protecting American Industry and Labor from International Trade Crimes Act to establish a task force within the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat China's trade crimes and protect American workers and manufacturers. The bill is co-led by Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) and Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL).
 
“For decades, Communist China and its subsidiaries frequently—and purposefully—violated U.S. trade laws through fraud, duty evasion, and transshipment. These illicit practices devastate American industry—undercutting wages, forcing manufacturers to close their doors, and hollowing out rural communities that rely on these jobs. 
 
“My bill will support the Trump Administration’s efforts to stop these blatant violations and ensure penalties are meaningfully enforced. American workers have felt pain for far too long because of Communist China’s malfeasance—now it’s time for Communist China to face consequences.” – Congresswoman Ashley Hinson

"Reintroducing the Protecting American Industry and Labor from International Trade Crimes Act is crucial to holding China accountable for its illegal trade practices that harm American businesses and workers. This bipartisan legislation strengthens enforcement and ensures the Department of Justice has the resources necessary to combat China's unfair tactics. We cannot allow China's unlawful actions to undermine U.S. competitiveness and our manufacturing sector." – Chairman John Moolenaar

“This bipartisan legislation sends a strong message, in one voice, that the Chinese Communist Party must end its illegal trade practices now. From violating the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act to flooding the American market with dumped goods and illegal vape products, this economic aggression has gone unchecked for too long. This legislation will give the Department of Justice the tools it needs to fight back against the CCP’s predatory trade practices and protect American workers and companies.” – Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi

Background:
The Protecting American Industry and Labor from International Trade Crimes Act: 

• Establishes a new task force or similar structure within the DOJ’s Criminal Division to investigate and prosecute trade-related crimes.
• Enhances nationwide responses to trade-related offenses by providing training and technical assistance to other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, expanding investigations and prosecutions, and allowing for parallel criminal and civil enforcement actions.
• Requires the Attorney General to submit an annual report to Congress assessing the DOJ’s efforts, statistics on trade-related crimes, and fund utilization.
• Authorizes funding for FY26 to support these efforts with appropriate guardrails.

The legislation garnered robust support from supporting organizations including American Iron and Steel Institute, Coalition for a Prosperous America, American Medical Manufacturers Association, Alliance for American Manufacturing, Forging Industry Association, National Council of Textile Organizations, North American Die Casting Association, American Shrimp Processors Association, American Mold Builders Association, Campaign for Uyghurs, and America First Policy Institute.

“For too long, China has circumvented U.S. trade laws by way of fraud, transshipment of Chinese products and duty evasion. These actions have harmed American businesses, including the domestic steel industry. By establishing a task force within the Department of Justice, this bill will help ensure that criminal activities to evade U.S. customs and trade laws are appropriately addressed by federal prosecutors. AISI applauds the work of Representatives Hinson and Krishnamoorthi to develop this important legislation to ensure vigorous enforcement of U.S. customs and trade laws and, where appropriate, prosecution of criminal violations of these laws.” – Kevin Dempsey, president and CEO, American Iron and Steel Institute

“Right now, CPA members are forced to compete against Chinese and other foreign entities that are openly committing trade fraud and other crimes, directly undermining American producers and hurting our workers. Last year’s federal raid of Sunsong North America, a Chinese-owned auto parts manufacturer under investigation for trade fraud, underscores how urgently we need to equip the Department of Justice with stronger authority and greater resources to prosecute these international trade crimes. Congress should immediately pass this bipartisan legislation to ensure American manufacturers and workers are better protected from predatory foreign entities seeking to undermine our economy.” – Zach Mottl, Chairman of Coalition for a Prosperous America

"America’s manufacturers of critical medical supplies and personal protective equipment face unfair competition from foreign companies and hostile nations, especially in their creative ways of using tariff evasion to artificially keep costs low and defraud the US government.

"Bad actors blatantly violate trade laws, systematically evade tariffs and duties, and deliver inferior products that the government has flagged. This actively endangers unsuspecting American consumers in healthcare, public safety, and other vital industries.

"Egregious actions like these from abroad severely harm American workers and manufacturers while posing significant national security and public health risks. AMMA emphatically supports this legislation and is firm in its commitment to ensuring accountability, rigorous tracking, and stringent enforcement of all violations." – American Medical Manufacturers Association Executive Director Eric Axel

"The Forging Industry Association strongly supports the Protecting American Industry and Labor from International Trade Crimes Act to prosecute the criminal actions of the Chinese Communist Party and those who violate our trade laws to undercut American manufacturing. Whether foreign or domestic, this bill will take trade criminals head on and strengthen the U.S. industrial base by giving the U.S. Government the tools it needs to prosecute violators." – Forging Industry Association, Independence, Ohio

“We commend the House Judiciary Committee and the House Select Committee on the CCP for highlighting the urgent need to establish a formal structure within the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division dedicated to aggressively prosecuting trade fraud. Rampant trade crime, ranging from slave-labor made products circumventing the U.S. ban on these imports, fraudulent rules of origin claims under our free trade agreements, evasion of duties through abuse of the de minimis loophole, and myriad other practices, has severely harmed the U.S. textile and apparel supply chain. This massive fraud is directly contributing to harmful consequences for the industry, which has shuttered 18 plants over the past several months and laid off hundreds of workers. Similarly, trade fraud is also adversely impacting our Western Hemisphere trade partners, who have been forced to close plants affecting tens of thousands of jobs. This legislation puts real teeth into combating trade crimes that are undermining U.S. manufacturers, workers, and supply chains, and will ensure that those facilitating these crimes will be held accountable.” – President and CEO Kim Glas, National Council of Textile Organizations

“The trade crimes committed by companies often based in China undermine U.S. manufacturing and the Defense Industrial Base. The North American Die Casting Association strongly supports the Protecting American Industry & Labor from Trade Crimes Act to provide the Executive Branch with additional resources to prosecute those who seek to evade our trade laws. We need stronger enforcement to prevent overseas companies from violating the law to gain an advantage over American manufacturers.” – North American Die Casting Association, Arlington Heights, IL

“Companies based in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) have consistently violated U.S. trade laws, including duty evasion, fraud, and transshipment through third countries. Refusing to abide by international law enables the PRC’s non-market economy, authoritarian Communist leadership, and Uyghur forced labor in China’s Xinjiang province while simultaneously undermining U.S. companies and workers.

"America's shrimp producers strongly support the creation of a permanent structure in the Department of Justice to focus on trade crimes," said Trey Pearson, President of the American Shrimp Processors Association. "Our industry has been hammered by unfair imports from China and other countries, and our government needs the tools and resources to fully prosecute criminals that violate our trade laws and undermine the trade relief our producers have fought so hard to obtain." – American Shrimp Processors Association

“When we do not enforce our trade laws, it invites companies in China to evade tariffs and duties, which leads to more Chinese molds, tooling and dies imported into the U.S. The American Mold Builders Association strongly supports the Protecting American Industry & Labor from International Trade Crimes Act and encourages Congress to provide the Executive Branch the resources it needs to enforce our trade laws. Allowing China and other trade law violators to import into the U.S. undermines our manufacturing base and gives a free pass to those who break our trade laws.” – American Mold Builders Association, Indianapolis, IN

"AFPI supports efforts to prosecute PRC violations of Section 301 and 232 tariffs and abuses under the Uyghur Forced Labor Protection Act. We must hold the CCP accountable for its flagrant economic and human rights crimes.” – Adam Savit, Director of the China Policy Initiative, AFPI

This bill was introduced with Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI-02) and Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-08), Rep. Robert Wittman (R-VA-01), Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-MD-04), Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL-16), Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA-36), Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-CA-03), Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03), Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA-03), Rep. Deborah Ross (D-NC-02), Rep. Brad Finstad (R-MN-01), Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI-11), Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-06), Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA-46), Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA-16), Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN-07), Rep. Ben Cline (R-VA-06), Rep. Don Davis (D-NC-01), Rep. Michael Rulli (R-OH-06), Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA-06), Rep. Zach Nunn (R-IA-03), Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA-17), Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL-28), Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL-14), Rep. Nathaniel Moran (R-TX-01), Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-05), Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04), Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV-03), Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI-06), Rep. Donald Norcross (D-NJ-01), Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-PA-17), Rep. Richie Torres (D-NY-15), and Rep. Jill Tokuda (D-HI-02).

Full bill text can be found here.

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