Republican Introduces Bill to Increase Tariffs on Chinese Goods

Republican Rep. Mo Brooks, who has former President Donald Trump's endorsement in the 2022 Senate race in Alabama, has introduced a bill that would impose an additional 10% duty on Chinese imports and on Chinese components that are part of goods imported from all other countries from the time the bill passes through the end of 2021. The bill would make the punitive tariff 20% in 2022, and would increase the tariff by 10 percentage points each year until the duties collected "equals or exceeds the total amount necessary to provide full compensation and reimbursement relating to COVID–19."

In his June 23 press release announcing the bill, Brooks said that COVID-19 was created in a Chinese lab, and said whether its conduct was negligent, reckless or intentional, China is responsible for the losses. The bill is co-sponsored by Rep. Scott DesJarlais, R-Tenn., and Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-N.C.

"While tariffs on Chinese imports into America will likely and initially be paid for by American consumers, over the long haul, the escalating tariff burdens will squeeze China’s economy, thus forcing Communist China to pay up or suffer catastrophic economic damage," Brooks said.

He said the tariffs collected would pay individuals for their medical expenses, loss of earnings and the lost earnings from the dead; would reimburse business and state and local revenue losses, and would reimburse government spending responding to the pandemic.

Since the bill has no Democratic co-sponsors, and Democrats control the House, it likely has a remote chance of passage.