The Trade Review Act of 2025 would require congressional approval for covered new or increased tariffs to remain in place beyond 60 days. Sens. Chuck Grassley, a Republican from Iowa, and Maria Cantwell, a Democrat from Washington, introduced the proposal on April 3, 2025. It has not become law: Congress.gov lists both the Senate bill and its House companion as introduced.
What is the Trade Review Act of 2025?
It is a bipartisan proposal to give Congress a formal review role when the president imposes a new tariff or increases an existing one. The Senate measure is S.1272, sponsored by Cantwell and co-introduced by Grassley. The House companion is H.R.2665, introduced by Rep. Don Bacon.
The proposal concerns the process for covered tariffs, not a specific tariff rate or a promise to remove tariffs already in place. Grassley’s office says the bill builds on his 2019 efforts to reform Section 232 tariffs. Cantwell’s office describes its approach as modeled on the War Powers Resolution of 1973; those are the sponsors’ characterizations.
How would the bill change tariff review?
Under the sponsors’ summary, the president would have to notify Congress within 48 hours after imposing a covered new tariff or increasing one. The notice would explain the reasons for the action and analyze possible effects on U.S. businesses and consumers.
Congress would then have 60 days to pass a joint resolution approving the new tariff. Without approval by the deadline, the new import tariffs would expire under the proposal. Congress could also end tariffs sooner through a resolution of disapproval. The House sponsor’s release says the companion bill would use expedited procedures for consideration of approval or disapproval resolutions.
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Which duties are excluded?
The sponsors’ summary explicitly excludes anti-dumping and countervailing duties. The bill’s proposed review process should therefore not be described as covering every kind of import duty.
Did the bill pass or take effect?
No passage or enactment is recorded on the Congress.gov status pages cited here. The Senate bill, S.1272, is listed as “Introduced”; it was read twice and referred to the Senate Finance Committee on April 3, 2025. The House bill, H.R.2665, is also listed as “Introduced”; it was introduced April 7, 2025, and referred to the House Committees on Ways and Means and Rules. Until a bill becomes law, its proposed notice and approval deadlines do not change current tariff rules.
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Check the official status pages for any later action: S.1272 on Congress.gov and H.R.2665 on Congress.gov.
Why are the sponsors advocating for it?
Grassley argues that Congress has delegated too much authority over trade to the executive branch. Cantwell says tariffs can raise costs for U.S. consumers and businesses and hurt export opportunities. Those are arguments from the bill’s proponents, not established estimates of what this proposal would do to prices, household budgets, or exports.
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Grassley’s office listed support from trade, retail, manufacturing, small-business, agriculture, and other organizations, including the National Retail Federation, Consumer Technology Association, National Farmers Union, and Iowa Soybean Association. This is the list reported by Grassley’s office; it is not an independent assessment of each organization’s position.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What could it mean for consumers and businesses?
If enacted as described, the bill could make congressional approval a condition for covered new tariffs to continue beyond 60 days, while requiring an explanation and impact analysis soon after the action. That would create a defined review window, but it would not by itself determine whether a tariff is adopted, how high it is, or what prices businesses ultimately charge. The available sponsor materials do not establish a quantified effect on household costs or the economy.
For readers tracking possible changes, the key distinction is between a proposal and a rule in force: the 48-hour notice and 60-day approval framework is part of the bill’s proposed design, not a current requirement.
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Where to read the announcements
- Grassley’s announcement and proposal summary
- Cantwell’s announcement
- Bacon’s announcement on the House companion
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