GOP Senators Introduce Legislation to Strip China’s Favored Trade Status

Three Republican senators have introduced new legislation that would strip China of its trade privileges with the United States and increase tariffs by 100 percent on certain Chinese imports. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), who sits on the intelligence and armed services committee, said the legislation would remove China’s permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) status. The legislation, called the Neither Permanent Nor Normal Trade Relations Act (S.5264), was co-sponsored by Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.). “China’s Permanent Normal Trade Relations status has enriched the Chinese Communist Party while costing the United States millions of jobs,” Cotton said in a statement released by his office on Sept. 26....