I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1704 

To decrease dependency on People’s Republic of China manufacturing and 

decrease migration due to lost regional economic opportunities. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 22, 2023 

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee (for himself and Mr. MCCAUL) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

A BILL 

To decrease dependency on People’s Republic of China manufacturing and decrease migration due to lost regional 

economic opportunities. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Latin America and 

5 Caribbean Nearshoring Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS; STATEMENT OF POLICY. 

7 (a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con8 gress that the United States has economic and national 

9 security interests in securing the critical mineral and en10 ergy supply chains of Latin American and Caribbean 


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1 countries from control and influence by the People’s Re2 public of China. 

3 (b) STATEMENT OF POLICY.—It is the policy of the 

4 United States to— 

5 (1) advance United States foreign policy and 

6 development goals by assisting Latin American and 

7 Caribbean countries to reduce their dependence on 

8 critical mineral and energy supply chains controlled 

9 or influenced by the People’s Republic of China; 

10 (2) promote private sector-led long-term eco11 nomic development, economic competitiveness and 

12 promoting good governance, human rights, and the 

13 rule of law in Latin American and Caribbean coun14 tries, particularly in the areas of investment, sus15 tainable development, commercial relations, anti-cor16 ruption activities, and infrastructure projects; 

17 (3) encourage United States public and private 

18 sector investment in energy infrastructure projects 

19 of such countries to bridge the gap between energy 

20 security requirements and commercial demand in a 

21 way that is consistent with the region’s absorptive 

22 capacity; 

23 (4) encourage United States public and private 

24 sector investment in critical mineral mining and re25 fining of such countries; and 


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1 (5) help facilitate the export of United States 

2 energy technology and expertise to global markets. 

3 SEC. 3. EFFORTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE AND RE4 LATED AGENCIES. 

5 The Secretary of State, in coordination with the 

6 heads of United States agencies that operate under the 

7 foreign policy guidance of the Secretary of State, shall, 

8 as appropriate, prioritize and expedite the efforts of the 

9 Department of State and such agencies— 

10 (1) to support efforts of Latin American and 

11 Caribbean countries to secure their critical mineral 

12 and energy supply chains from control and influence 

13 by the People’s Republic of China; and 

14 (2) to otherwise carry out the policy described 

15 in section 2(b). 

16 SEC. 4. ASSISTANCE FROM THE UNITED STATES INTER17 NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT FINANCE COR18 PORATION. 

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—The United States International 

20 Development Finance Corporation, in coordination with 

21 the Federal agencies and officials described in subsection 

22 (b), shall provide assistance under section 1421 of the 

23 Better Utilization of Investments Leading to Development 

24 Act of 2018 (22 U.S.C. 9621) for each fiscal year begin25 ning after the date of the enactment of this Act— 


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1 (1) to support efforts of Latin American and 

2 Caribbean countries to secure their critical mineral 

3 and energy supply chains from control and influence 

4 by the People’s Republic of China; and 

5 (2) to otherwise carry out the policy described 

6 in section 2(b). 

7 (b) FEDERAL AGENCIES AND OFFICIALS DE8 SCRIBED.—The Federal agencies and officials described in 

9 this subsection include— 

10 (1) the United States Trade and Development 

11 Agency, the Export-Import Bank of the United 

12 States, the Millenium Challenge Corporation, the 

13 United States Army Corps of Engineers, and the 

14 United States Agency for International Develop15 ment; and 

16 (2) the United States Executive Directors of 

17 relevant international financial institutions, includ18 ing the World Bank Group, the Inter-American De19 velopment Bank, and the International Monetary 

20 Fund. 

21 (c) EXCEPTIONS.—In providing assistance described 

22 in subsection (a)— 

23 (1) the United States International Develop24 ment Finance Corporation may provide support for 

25 projects in Latin American and Caribbean countries 


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1 with upper-middle-income economies or high-income 

2 economies (as those terms are defined by the Inter3 national Bank for Reconstruction and Development 

4 and the International Development Association (col5 lectively referred to as the ‘‘World Bank’’)); and 

6 (2) the restriction under section 1412(c)(2) of 

7 the Better Utilization of Investments Leading to De8 velopment Act of 2018 (22 U.S.C. 9612(c)(2)) shall 

9 not apply. 

10 (d) PLAN.—Not later than 180 days after the date 

11 of the enactment of this Act, the United States Inter12 national Development Finance Corporation shall develop 

13 and submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the 

14 House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign 

15 Relations of the Senate a plan to streamline the provision 

16 of assistance described in subsection (a), including to ex17 pedite the approval process for the provision of such as18 sistance. 

19 SEC. 5. AGREEMENTS FOR COOPERATION PURSUANT TO 

20 SECTION 123 OF THE ATOMIC ENERGY ACT 

21 OF 1954. 

22 (a) IN GENERAL.—The President is authorized to 

23 take action to initiate negotiations with any Latin Amer24 ican or Caribbean country to obtain an agreement for co25 operation pursuant to section 123 of the Atomic Energy 


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1 Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2153) to approve the sale of nu2 clear reactors to such country but only if— 

3 (1) the President determines that such sale will 

4 not threaten the national security of the United 

5 States; and 

6 (2) the country meets the conditions described 

7 in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of subsection (c). 

8 (b) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND EXPERTISE.—The 

9 Administrator of the United States Agency for Inter10 national Development, in consultation with the Secretary 

11 of Energy and the United States International Develop12 ment Finance Corporation, may provide technical assist13 ance and expertise in electrical grid and energy efficiency 

14 improvements related to sales under subsection (a), as ap15 propriate. 

16 (c) CONDITIONS DESCRIBED.—The conditions de17 scribed in this subsection are the following: 

18 (1) The country is taking steps to reduce mi19 gration in violation of the Immigration and Nation20 ality Act. 

21 (2) The country is taking steps to reduce eco22 nomic dependence on the People’s Republic of 

23 China. 

24 (3) The country allows Taiwan to establish and 

25 maintain a commercial office in the country. 


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1 SEC. 6. LATIN AMERICAN OR CARIBBEAN COUNTRY DE2 FINED. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—In this Act, the term ‘‘Latin 

4 American or Caribbean country’’— 

5 (1) means— 

6 (A) a country in the Caribbean Sea, South 

7 America, or Central America; and 

8 (B) Mexico; and 

9 (2) except as provided in subsection (b), does 

10 not include Cuba or Venezuela. 

11 (b) EXCEPTION.—The term ‘‘Latin American or Car12 ibbean country’’ shall include Cuba or Venezuela if the 

13 Secretary of State determines and certifies to Congress 

14 that— 

15 (1) the government of such country— 

16 (A) has held free and fair presidential and 

17 legislative elections, as determined by inde18 pendent international observers, and subsequent 

19 elections are scheduled; 

20 (B) respects and upholds human rights; 

21 (C) is taking significant steps to privatize 

22 its economy and institute a free market; 

23 (D) permits the international community 

24 to provide humanitarian, governance, and eco25 nomic development assistance; 


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1 (E) has freed all unlawfully detained 

2 United States citizens, legal permanent resi3 dents, and political prisoners; and 

4 (F) has expelled all security services from 

5 foreign adversaries from the country; and 

6 (2) the prior authorities of such country have 

7 renounced their illegitimate claim to power. 

Æ 


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