Title 19 › CHAPTER 28 — TRADE FACILITATION AND TRADE ENFORCEMENT › SUBCHAPTER VI — ENGAGEMENT ON CURRENCY EXCHANGE RATE AND ECONOMIC POLICIES › § 4421
The Secretary of the Treasury must send Congress a report on the economic and currency policies of each major trading partner. The first report was due no later than 180 days after February 24, 2016, and reports must be sent at least every 180 days after that. Each report must give each country’s trade balance with the United States, that country’s current account as a percent of GDP and how that changed over the prior 3 years, and its foreign exchange reserves as a percent of short‑term debt and as a percent of GDP. If a country has a big bilateral trade surplus with the U.S., a material current account surplus, and has done persistent one‑sided currency intervention, the report must include a deeper analysis of that country’s currency market actions, trends in its real effective exchange rate and undervaluation, changes in capital controls and trade limits, and reserve buildup. The Treasury had to publicly explain, within 90 days after February 24, 2016, the factors it uses to decide if a country meets those three tests. If a country gets the deeper analysis, the President, through the Secretary, must begin enhanced talks with that country to press for fixes, say the U.S. concerns, warn about possible U.S. measures, and try to make a plan. The Secretary can waive starting talks if it would hurt the U.S. economy more than help or harm national security, but must tell Congress and explain why. If, one year after talks begin, the country has not fixed the problem, the President must take one or more actions such as blocking new financing by the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation for projects there; barring federal procurement from that country (subject to international obligations and cost checks); asking the U.S. IMF director to seek more IMF scrutiny; or directing the U.S. Trade Representative to consider the failure in trade talks. The President can waive these actions for the same economic or security reasons but must report to Congress. Definitions: appropriate committees — four named congressional committees; country — foreign country, dependent territory, possession, or a customs union of such; real effective exchange rate — a price‑adjusted weighted average of exchange rates; Secretary — the Secretary of the Treasury.
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Customs Duties, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Legislative History
Reference
Citation
19 U.S.C. § 4421
Title 19, Customs Duties
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110