I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1135 
To grant certain authorities to the President to combat economic coercion 
by foreign adversaries, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 21, 2023 
Mr. MEEKS (for himself, Mr. COLE, and Mr. BERA) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in ad-
dition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Financial Services, and 
Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each 
case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of 
the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To grant certain authorities to the President to combat eco-
nomic coercion by foreign adversaries, and for other pur-
poses. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Countering Economic 
Coercion Act of 2023’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) Foreign adversaries are increasingly using 
economic coercion to pressure, punish, and influence 
United States allies and partners. 
(2) Economic coercion causes economic harm to 
United States allies and partners and creates malign 
influence on the sovereign political actions of such 
allies and partners. 
(3) Economic coercion can threaten the essen-
tial security of the United States and its allies. 
(4) Economic coercion is often characterized 
by— 
(A) capricious, pre-textual, and non-trans-
parent actions taken without due process af-
forded; 
(B) intimidation or threats of punitive ac-
tions; and 
(C) informal actions that take place with-
out explicit government action. 
(5) Existing mechanisms for trade dispute reso-
lution and international arbitration are inadequate 
for responding to economic coercion in a timely and 
effective manner as foreign adversaries exploit plau-
sible deniability and lengthy processes to evade ac-
countability. 
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(6) The United States should provide meaning-
ful economic and political support to allies and part-
ners affected by economic coercion. 
(7) Supporting foreign trading partners af-
fected by economic coercion can lead to opportunities 
for United States businesses, investors, and workers 
to reach new markets and customers. 
(8) Responding to economic coercion will be 
most effective when the United States provides relief 
to affected foreign trading partners in coordination 
with allies and like-minded countries. 
(9) Such coordination will further demonstrate 
broad resolve against economic coercion. 
SEC. 3. AMENDMENT TO THE INTERNATIONAL EMERGENCY 
ECONOMIC POWERS ACT. 
The International Emergency Economic Powers Act 
(50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘SEC. 209. AUTHORITIES TO COMBAT ECONOMIC COERCION 
BY FOREIGN ADVERSARIES. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’— 
‘‘(A) means— 
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‘‘(i) the Committee on Foreign Rela-
tions of the Senate; and 
‘‘(ii) the Committee on Foreign Af-
fairs of the House of Representatives; and 
‘‘(B) includes— 
‘‘(i) with respect to the exercise of any 
authority 
under 
subsection 
(c)(1)(A), 
(c)(1)(D), or (c)(2)— 
‘‘(I) the Committee on Finance 
of the Senate; and 
‘‘(II) the Committee on Ways 
and Means of the House of Rep-
resentatives; and 
‘‘(ii) with respect to the exercise of 
any authority under subsection (c)(1)(B) 
or (b)(1)(G)— 
‘‘(I) the Committee on Appro-
priations of the Senate; and 
‘‘(II) the Committee on Appro-
priations of the House of Representa-
tives; and 
‘‘(iii) with respect to the exercise of 
any authority under subparagraphs (F) or 
(H) of subsection (c)(1)— 
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‘‘(I) the Committee on Banking, 
Housing, and Urban Affairs of the 
Senate; and 
‘‘(II) the Committee on Financial 
Services of the House of Representa-
tives. 
‘‘(2) ECONOMIC
COERCION.—The term ‘eco-
nomic coercion’ means actions, practices, or threats 
undertaken by a foreign adversary to unreasonably 
restrain, obstruct, or manipulate trade, foreign aid, 
investment, or commerce in an arbitrary, capricious, 
or non-transparent manner with the intention to 
cause economic harm to achieve strategic political 
objectives or influence sovereign political actions. 
‘‘(3) EXPORT; EXPORT ADMINISTRATION REGU-
LATIONS; IN-COUNTRY TRANSFER; REEXPORT.—The 
terms ‘export’, ‘Export Administration Regulations’, 
‘in-country transfer’, and ‘reexport’ have the mean-
ings given those terms in section 1742 of the Export 
Control Reform Act of 2018 (50 U.S.C. 4801). 
‘‘(4) FOREIGN ADVERSARY.—The term ‘foreign 
adversary’ has the meaning given that term in sec-
tion 8(c)(2) of the Secure and Trusted Communica-
tions Networks Act of 2019 (47 U.S.C. 1607(c)(2)). 
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‘‘(5) FOREIGN TRADING PARTNER.—The term 
‘foreign trading partner’ means any partner or allied 
jurisdiction that trades with the United States. 
‘‘(b) DETERMINATION OF ECONOMIC COERCION.— 
‘‘(1) PRESIDENTIAL DETERMINATION.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—If the President deter-
mines that a foreign trading partner is subject 
to economic coercion by a foreign adversary, the 
President may exercise, in a manner propor-
tionate to the economic coercion, any authority 
described— 
‘‘(i) in subsection (c)(1) to support or 
assist the foreign trading partner; or 
‘‘(ii) in subsection (c)(2) to penalize 
the foreign adversary. 
‘‘(B) INFORMATION; HEARINGS.—To in-
form any determination or exercise of authority 
under subparagraph (A), the President shall— 
‘‘(i) obtain the written opinion and 
analysis of the Secretary of State, the Sec-
retary of Commerce, the Secretary of the 
Treasury, the United States Trade Rep-
resentative, and the heads of other Federal 
agencies, as the President considers appro-
priate; 
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‘‘(ii) seek information and advice from 
and consult with other relevant officers of 
the United States; and 
‘‘(iii) afford other interested parties 
an opportunity to present relevant infor-
mation and advice. 
‘‘(C) CONSULTATION
WITH
CONGRESS.— 
The President shall consult with the appro-
priate congressional committees— 
‘‘(i) not later than 10 days before ex-
ercising any authority under this para-
graph; and 
‘‘(ii) not less frequently than once 
every 180 days for the duration of the ex-
ercise of such authority. 
‘‘(D) NOTICE.—Not later than 30 days 
after the date that the President determines 
that a foreign trading partner is subject to eco-
nomic coercion or exercises any authority under 
subparagraph (A), the President shall publish 
in the Federal Register— 
‘‘(i) a notice of the determination or 
exercise of authority; and 
‘‘(ii) a description of the economic co-
ercion that the foreign adversary is apply-
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ing to the foreign trading partner and 
other circumstances that led to such deter-
mination or exercise of authority. 
‘‘(2) EXPEDITED DETERMINATION.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—If the Secretary of 
State determines that a foreign trading partner 
is subject to economic coercion by a foreign ad-
versary, the Secretary of State or the head of 
the relevant Federal agency may exercise any 
authority described in subparagraphs (B) 
through (G) of subsection (c)(1). 
‘‘(B) NOTICES.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 10 
days after a determination under subpara-
graph (A), the Secretary of State shall 
submit to the appropriate congressional 
committees a notice of such determination. 
‘‘(ii) EXERCISE OF AUTHORITY.—Not 
later than 10 days after the exercise of any 
authority described in subparagraphs (B) 
through (G) of subsection (c)(1) that relies 
on the determination for which the Sec-
retary of State submitted notice under 
clause (i), the Secretary of State or the 
head of the relevant Federal agency relying 
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on such determination shall submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees a no-
tice of intent to exercise such authority, 
but not more frequently than once every 
90 days. 
‘‘(3) REVOCATION OF DETERMINATION.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Any determination 
made by the President under paragraph (1) or 
Secretary of State under paragraph (2) shall be 
revoked on the earliest of— 
‘‘(i) the date that is two years after 
the date of such determination; 
‘‘(ii) the date of the enactment of a 
joint resolution of disapproval revoking the 
determination; or 
‘‘(iii) the date on which the President 
issues a proclamation revoking the deter-
mination. 
‘‘(B) TERMINATION
OF
AUTHORITIES.— 
Any authority described in subsection (c)(1) ex-
ercised pursuant to a determination that has 
been revoked under subparagraph (A) shall 
cease to be exercised on the date of such rev-
ocation, except that such revocation shall not 
affect— 
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‘‘(i) any action taken or proceeding 
pending not finally concluded or deter-
mined on such date; or 
‘‘(ii) any rights or duties that ma-
tured or penalties that were incurred prior 
to such date. 
‘‘(c) AUTHORITIES TO ASSIST FOREIGN TRADING 
PARTNERS AFFECTED BY ECONOMIC COERCION.— 
‘‘(1) AUTHORITIES WITH RESPECT TO FOREIGN 
TRADING PARTNERS.—The authorities described in 
this subsection are the following: 
‘‘(A) Subject to subsection (e), with re-
spect to goods imported into the United States 
from a foreign trading partner subject to eco-
nomic coercion by a foreign adversary— 
‘‘(i) the reduction or elimination of 
duties; or 
‘‘(ii) the modification of tariff-rate 
quotas. 
‘‘(B) Requesting appropriations for foreign 
aid to the foreign trading partner. 
‘‘(C) Expedited decisions with respect to 
the issuance of licenses for the export or reex-
port to, or in-country transfer in, the foreign 
trading partner of items subject to controls 
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under the Export Administration Regulations, 
consistent with the Export Control Reform Act 
of 2018 (50 U.S.C. 4801 et seq.). 
‘‘(D) Expedited regulatory processes re-
lated to the importation of goods and services 
into the United States from the foreign trading 
partner. 
‘‘(E) Requesting the necessary authority 
and appropriations for sovereign loan guaran-
tees to the foreign trading partner. 
‘‘(F) The waiver of policy requirements 
(other than policy requirements mandated by 
an Act of Congress) as necessary to facilitate 
the provision of financing to support exports to 
the foreign trading partner. 
‘‘(G) Requesting appropriations for loan 
loss reserves to facilitate the provision of fi-
nancing to support United States exports to the 
foreign trading partner. 
‘‘(H) The exemption of financing provided 
to support United States exports to the foreign 
trading partner from section 8(g)(1) of the Ex-
port-Import Bank Act of 1945 (12 U.S.C. 
635g(g)(1)). 
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‘‘(2) AUTHORITIES WITH RESPECT TO FOREIGN 
ADVERSARIES.—Subject to subsection (e), with re-
spect to goods imported into the United States from 
a foreign adversary engaged in economic coercion of 
a foreign trading partner, the authorities described 
in this subsection are the following: 
‘‘(A) The increase in duties. 
‘‘(B) 
The 
modification 
of 
tariff-rate 
quotas. 
‘‘(d) COORDINATION
WITH
ALLIES
AND
PART-
NERS.— 
‘‘(1) COORDINATION BY PRESIDENT.—After a 
determination by the President that a foreign trad-
ing partner is subject to economic coercion by a for-
eign adversary, the President shall endeavor to co-
ordinate— 
‘‘(A) the exercise of the authorities de-
scribed in subsection (c) with other allies and 
partners, in order to broaden economic support 
to the foreign trading partner affected by eco-
nomic coercion; and 
‘‘(B) with allies and partners to issue joint 
condemnation of the actions of the foreign ad-
versary and support for the foreign trading 
partner. 
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