H.R. 1548: Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act
Sponsor
Beth Van Duyne
Republican · TX-24
Bill Progress
Latest Action · Feb 24, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
Why it matters
Lawmakers are pushing to tighten U.S. trade enforcement as concerns grow over subsidized imports, tariff evasion, and foreign price distortions hitting domestic manufacturers.
The Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act is a broad rewrite of how the U.S. handles unfair trade cases under existing antidumping and countervailing duty laws. In simple terms, it tries to modernize the rules so federal agencies can respond faster and more aggressively when foreign producers sell goods at unfairly low prices or benefit from government support. The bill reflects a bipartisan mood in Congress that current trade tools are too slow and too easy to game.
A major focus is what happens after the U.S. already acts once. The bill tells the U.S. International Trade Commission to look at whether a domestic industry is only recovering because earlier trade relief helped it, rather than treating that recovery as proof there is no longer a problem. That matters because companies targeted by one trade case can shift production, reroute exports, or alter products to keep entering the U.S. market while undercutting domestic firms. The bill would make it easier to launch and sustain these follow-on cases.
It also goes after harder-to-prove forms of unfair trade. The legislation would address cross-border subsidies, distorted costs in foreign markets, and currency undervaluation in countervailing duty reviews. Those are important changes because many modern trade complaints involve state-backed industrial systems, not just simple below-cost pricing. The bill signals that Congress wants Commerce and Customs to look beyond the sticker price and examine how governments may be shaping markets behind the scenes.
The other big piece is enforcement at the border. The bill strengthens anti-circumvention rules, requires more importer certifications, limits some challenges to Customs decisions in evasion cases, and applies evasion procedures to safeguard actions too. Taken together, the proposal would likely make life harder for importers relying on complex supply chains or gray-area sourcing, while giving domestic industries more tools to keep duties from being watered down in practice.
What does H.R. 1548 do?
Stronger follow-up trade cases
Tells trade officials to consider whether an industry's recent recovery happened only because earlier tariffs or duties helped, making it easier to bring new cases when similar imports keep causing harm.
Cross-border subsidies count
Lets U.S. investigators look more directly at subsidies that may flow across borders, a response to supply chains where one country helps production in another.
Foreign cost distortions get more scrutiny
Changes how the government calculates fair prices and production costs when prices in a foreign country appear warped by state intervention or unusual market conditions.
Currency undervaluation can trigger penalties
Adds rules for investigating whether a foreign government keeps its currency artificially cheap in a way that helps its exporters and harms U.S. producers.
Tougher anti-circumvention rules
Makes it easier for Commerce to go after companies that try to dodge duties by slightly altering products, routing goods through other countries, or using other workarounds.
More importer accountability at the border
Requires certifications from importers or other parties, tightens treatment of evasion claims, and adds asset requirements for nonresident importers to improve collection and enforcement.
Who benefits from H.R. 1548?
U.S. manufacturers
They would get stronger legal tools to challenge imports they say are unfairly cheap or subsidized, especially in repeat cases.
Domestic workers in traded industries
Employees in sectors like steel, chemicals, machinery, and other manufacturing areas could benefit if stronger enforcement reduces import pressure and supports production at home.
Trade enforcement agencies
The Department of Commerce, the International Trade Commission, and Customs would get clearer authority and more ways to investigate evasion and circumvention.
Petitioning industries and unions
Groups that file trade complaints would have an easier time arguing that foreign producers are still causing harm through new channels or hidden state support.
Who is affected by H.R. 1548?
Importers and customs brokers
They could face more paperwork, more certifications, greater enforcement risk, and fewer options to challenge some Customs decisions in evasion cases.
Foreign exporters under trade scrutiny
Companies selling into the U.S. could see more investigations, broader definitions of unfair support, and a harder time avoiding duties by changing sourcing or shipping routes.
Retailers and manufacturers dependent on imported inputs
If more imports are hit with duties or delayed by enforcement, their costs could rise, especially for goods or components sourced from targeted countries.
U.S. consumers
Consumers may see indirect effects if stricter trade penalties raise prices on some imported goods, though supporters argue the tradeoff is stronger domestic production.
H.R. 1548 Common Questions
How much is the penalty for a nonresident importer that does not keep enough assets in the US for duties?
Under the Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act, the civil penalty is $50,000 if the merchandise is valued at $50,000 or more, or 50% of domestic value if it is under $50,000 (Section 304).
What are the deadlines for antidumping and countervailing duty successive investigations?
According to H.R. 1548 Section 103, CVD cases get a preliminary decision in 85 days and a final 75 days later; AD cases get a preliminary in 140 days and a final 75 days later.
Can Commerce require importers to certify that goods and inputs are not covered by antidumping or countervailing duty cases?
Yes. Under the Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act (Section 302), importers may have to certify that merchandise and its inputs are not subject to AD/CVD proceedings.
Does the bill make false importer certifications a federal crime?
Yes. Under the Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act (Section 302), false certification statements can trigger penalties under 19 U.S.C. 1592 and 18 U.S.C. 1001.
Can a subsidy from one foreign country count against imports from another country?
Yes. Under the Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act (Section 201), a third-country subsidy is treated as provided by the subject country if that country facilitates the subsidy.
Does currency undervaluation count as a countervailable subsidy under this trade bill?
Yes. Under the Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act (Sections 401-402), Commerce must examine whether currency undervaluation gives exporters a benefit that can be treated as a countervailable subsidy.
What counts as a particular market situation under the Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act?
Under H.R. 1548 Section 204(c), examples include oversupply, state-owned enterprise dominance, government intervention or export limits, weak labor/environment/IP enforcement, and non-market business relationships.
Can the ITC reject injury in a follow-on trade case just because a US industry recently improved?
No. Under the Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act (Section 101(a)), the Commission cannot deny material injury solely because sales or market share improved if that recovery was due to earlier trade relief.
Are Customs evasion decisions still subject to protest under this bill?
No. According to H.R. 1548 Section 501, decisions on evasion claims under 19 U.S.C. 1517 are not subject to protest under 19 U.S.C. 1514.
Does the Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act apply to Canada and Mexico?
Yes. Under the Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act (Section 601), the bill's amendments apply to Canada and Mexico.
Based on H.R. 1548 bill text
HR1548 Legislative Journey
House: Committee Action
Feb 24, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
About the Sponsor
Beth Van Duyne
Republican, Texas's 24th congressional district · 5 years in Congress
Committees: Small Business, Ways and Means
View full profile →
Cosponsors (92)
This bill has 92 cosponsors: 37 Democrats, 55 Republicans, reflecting bipartisan support. Cosponsors represent 30 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, and 27 more.
Terri Sewell
Democrat · AL
Carol Miller
Republican · WV
John Moolenaar
Republican · MI
Raja Krishnamoorthi
Democrat · IL
Mike Bost
Republican · IL
Eric Crawford
Republican · AR
Mike Rogers
Republican · AL
Troy Balderson
Republican · OH
Jack Bergman
Republican · MI
André Carson
Democrat · IN
Juan Ciscomani
Republican · AZ
Monica De La Cruz
Republican · TX
Committee Sponsors
Ways and Means Committee
7 of 45 committee members cosponsored
20 Republicans across this committee haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
What laws does H.R. 1548 change?
9 changes
Sections Amended
Section 771 of Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1677)
adding at the end the following: ``(37) Treatment of successive investigations
Section 702 of Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1671a)
adding at the end the following: ``(f) Initiation by Administering Authority of Successive Countervailing Duty Investigation
Section 732 of Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1673a)
adding at the end the following: ``(f) Initiation by Administering Authority of Successive Antidumping Duty Investigation
Section 771A of Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1677-1)
adding at the end the following: ``(d) Multinational Corporations
Section 771(15) of Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1677(15))
adding at the end the following: ``(D) Situations in which the quantity of a foreign like product selected for comparison under section 771(16) is insufficient to establish a proper comparison to the export price or constructed export price
Section 781 of Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1677j)
striking subsection (f) and inserting the following: ``(f) Procedures for Conducting Circumvention Inquiries
H.R. 1548 Quick Facts
- Committee
- Ways and Means
- Chamber
- House
- Policy
- Foreign Trade and International Finance
- Introduced
- Feb 24, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
Feb 24, 2025
Official Sources
The International Trade Commission determines whether a domestic industry is materially injured by dumped or subsidized imports — the central injury test this bill rewrites.
Commerce's Enforcement & Compliance division administers the AD/CVD investigations, circumvention inquiries, and duty calculations that this bill overhauls.
The EAPA program allows interested parties to report suspected duty evasion — this bill extends those procedures to safeguard actions and limits protests of evasion determinations.
TFTEA is the 2015 law that created the EAPA evasion framework; this bill amends and expands several TFTEA provisions including covered merchandise definitions.
Validated Tier 2 or Tier 3 C-TPAT participants are exempt from the bill's new asset requirements for nonresident importers.
The underlying statute this bill amends — Title VII governs all antidumping and countervailing duty law in the United States.
The bill was referred to the Ways and Means Committee; the Trade Subcommittee has jurisdiction over tariffs, trade enforcement, and the International Trade Commission.
Who is lobbying on H.R. 1548?
7 organizations lobbying on this bill
NATIONAL TREASURY EMPLOYEES UNION | 4 |
ALLIANCE FOR AMERICAN MANUFACTURING | 4 |
AMERICAN WIRE PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION | 4 |
COLD FINISHED STEEL BAR INSTITUTE | 4 |
SPECIALTY STEEL INDUSTY OF NORTH AMERICA | 4 |
MUNICIPAL CASTINGS ASSOCIATION FORMERLY MUNICIPAL CASTINGS FAIR TRADE COUNCIL | 3 |
NATIONAL TAXPAYERS UNION | 1 |
Showing 1-7 of 7 organizations
H.R. 1548 Bill Text
“To amend the Tariff Act of 1930 to improve the administration of antidumping and countervailing duty laws, and for other purposes.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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