Duval Times

Senator Rick Scott has introduced the Stopping Adversarial Tariff Evasion Act, aimed at tightening enforcement against tariff evasion by foreign entities. The legislation seeks to address a loophole that allows Chinese manufacturers to avoid U.S. tariffs by relocating production to other countries, a practice known as "country hopping."

Senator Scott stated, "President Trump is right to use tariffs as a strategic tool to protect American jobs and our best interests, and to hold our adversaries accountable when they’re taking advantage of the United States. This is especially true for Communist China, one of our nation’s biggest adversaries, that will do anything on the quest for global domination and that clearly includes lying, exploiting our laws, evading tariffs and taking full advantage of the former administration’s weaknesses to drive American manufacturers and businesses out of the global market. My bill, the Stopping Adversarial Tariff Evasion Act will ensure Communist China and all of our adversaries will be held fully accountable and paying the full price of our tariffs – no exceptions. We’re entering America’s Golden Age with President Trump, and that means putting Communist China and every nation taking advantage of the United States on notice that the America-first economy is BACK."

The proposed legislation amends both the Trade Act of 1974 and the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. It aims to ensure that national security-related tariffs apply equally to goods produced by entities controlled by foreign adversaries as if those goods were made in their home territories.

This move comes amid concerns about Chinese manufacturers in industries such as autos, solar panels, and semiconductors shifting production outside China to circumvent U.S. tariffs.