DB8 Speech & Debate Academy
Bills Library

Practice bills

Every bill is sorted by grade band and skill level — pick the row that matches you. Built in, no outside sites required.

← All bills
H.R. 1217·High School Experienced

A Bill to Impose Reciprocal Tariffs on Chinese Imports

Rep. Hartman (R-WY)

Imposes tariffs on Chinese imports calibrated to match Chinese tariffs and non-tariff barriers on U.S. goods.

Sec. 1 — Mandate

USTR shall calculate and impose tariffs on Chinese imports matching Chinese tariff equivalents on U.S. exports, sector by sector.

Sec. 2 — Adjustment

Tariffs adjust annually based on USTR review.

Sec. 3 — Funding

Self-funded by tariff revenue.

Sec. 4 — Enforcement

U.S. Customs and Border Protection enforcement.

Tournament Prep

Mechanical parts, sourced & timed

Use this as your pre-round checklist. Memorize the source citation. Time yourself to the delivery target.

Bill / Number
H.R. 1217 — A Bill to Impose Reciprocal Tariffs on Chinese Imports
Funding source
Self-funded by tariff revenue.
Timeline
USTR phase-in over 12-18 months.
Realistic mechanically; WTO retaliation timeline is the constraint.
Enforcing agency
U.S. Customs and Border Protection + USTR.
Yes — Section 301 of Trade Act of 1974 (Sec. 2411).
Penalty for non-compliance
Tariff collection at port; WTO dispute-resolution actions possible.
Source citation
Peterson Institute for International Economics, Bown (2023), 'US-China Trade War Tariffs' — piie.com.
Delivery time (read aloud)
1:15 (75s)
Strongest counter-argument

Reciprocal tariffs raise consumer prices and invite proportional Chinese retaliation against US exports (especially soybeans and aircraft).

Your pre-emptive answer

Peterson (Bown 2023) measured 2018-2020 tariffs — pass-through to US consumers was ~$200/household/yr, modest in context of $7T in covered goods. The retaliation point cuts both ways: China already imposes 4-7% effective tariff rates on US goods that this bill simply mirrors.