S. 691 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the Senate, Feb 24, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryStrengthens rules against unfair import practices
When foreign companies dump products in the U.S. at artificially low prices or get government help to undercut American competitors, U.S. law allows relief through antidumping and countervailing duties. This bill makes those protections work better by letting the Department of Commerce investigate the same products multiple times if needed, setting clearer deadlines for decisions, and giving Commerce new tools like the ability to look at currency undervaluation and to investigate ways companies try to skirt existing duties.
How it affects you
U.S. industries and workers in sectors targeted by unfair foreign trade practices could see stronger protection from imports sold below fair value or artificially subsidized by foreign governments. Importers would face new certification requirements for their goods. Most everyday consumers and businesses not directly involved in international trade disputes won't feel a direct change, though trade protections can eventually affect prices and availability of imported products.
Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, Feb 24, 2025)
Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act
This bill addresses unfair trade practices by making various changes to U.S. antidumping and countervailing duty laws. Antidumping laws provide relief to U.S industries and workers that are materially injured or threatened with injury due to imports of like products sold in the U.S. market at less than fair value, while countervailing duty laws provide such relief from imports of products subsidized by a foreign government or public entity.
Specifically, the bill establishes a process for successive antidumping and countervailing duty investigations. Successive investigations may be concurrent (an ongoing investigation of the same product) or recently completed (not more than two years before the date of the initiation of the successive investigation). Further, the bill establishes a timeline for the Department of Commerce to issue determinations in successive investigations.
Among other provisions, the bill authorizes Commerce to
• apply countervailing duty law to subsidies provided by a foreign government or public entity to a company operating in a different country,
• use another method for calculating the cost of production in specific circumstances, and
• require importers to certify that the imported merchandise is not subject to an antidumping or countervailing duty order.
Additionally, the bill statutorily establishes procedures for Commerce to conduct circumvention inquiries, including by specifying the deadlines for preliminary and final determinations.
The bill also provides statutory authority for Commerce to investigate currency undervaluation as a countervailable subsidy.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionS. 691
A BILL
Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act
Sponsor: Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) · Introduced Feb 24, 2025 · Foreign Trade and International Finance · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Feb 24, 2025: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.”
Sections
Sections · 1
Title I — Successive investigations · 3
- Sec. 101Establishment of special rules for determination of material injury in the case of successive antidumping and countervailing duty investigationsNo change
- Sec. 102Initiation of successive antidumping and countervailing duty investigationsNo change
- Sec. 103Issuance of determinations with respect to successive antidumping and countervailing duty investigationsNo change
Title II — Responding to market distortions · 5
- Sec. 201Addressing cross-border subsidies in countervailing duty investigationsNo change
- Sec. 202Modification of definition of ordinary course of trade to specify that an insufficient quantity of foreign like products constitutes a situation outside the ordinary course of tradeNo change
- Sec. 203Modification of adjustments to export price and constructed export price with respect to duty drawbackNo change
- Sec. 204Modification of determination of normal value to account for distortions of costs that occur in foreign countriesNo change
- Sec. 205Special rules for calculation of cost of production and constructed value to address distorted costsNo change
Title III — Preventing circumvention · 4
- Sec. 301Modification of requirements in circumvention inquiriesNo change
- Sec. 302Requirement of provision by importer of certification by importer or other partyNo change
- Sec. 303Clarification of authority for Department of Commerce regarding merchandise covered by antidumping and countervailing duty proceedingsNo change
- Sec. 304Asset requirements applicable to nonresident importersNo change
Title IV — Countering currency undervaluation · 2
Title V — Preventing duty evasion · 3
- Sec. 501Limitation on protest against decisions of U.S. Customs and Border Protection of claims of evasion of antidumping and countervailing duty ordersNo change
- Sec. 502Procedures for investigating claims of evasion of safeguard actionsNo change
- Sec. 503Application of provisions relating to certain proprietary informationNo change