HR 839 United States House · 118th Congress

China Exchange Rate Transparency Act of 2023

HR 839, the China Exchange Rate Transparency Act of 2023, requires the U.S. Treasury Secretary to direct the U.S. representative at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to advocate for greater transparency from China regarding its exchange rate policies. The bill directs advocacy for China to provide more data on its exchange rate management, comply with IMF information requests, publish significant deviations from other currencies used in IMF calculations, and consider transparency in IMF governance reviews. It directly affects China’s exchange rate practices, aiming to address U.S. Treasury findings that China lacks transparency in its foreign exchange interventions and policies. The law expires 30 days after China demonstrates substantial compliance with IMF rules on exchange rate transparency or 7 years from enactment, whichever comes first.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2023
Committee Review
Jan 2024
House Passage
Jan 2024
Senate Passage
President
Introduced Feb 6, 2023 Last action Jan 16, 2024
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced in House Engrossed in House · 5 edits · Jan 12, 2024
MODERATE
The Engrossed version of HR 839 makes several substantive modifications to the Treasury Secretary's IMF advocacy mandate regarding China's exchange rate policies. It adds a requirement for enhanced IMF surveillance, removes a standalone compliance-with-information-requests provision, softens the publication requirement to mere inclusion, broadens the quota/voting evaluation criterion from non-transparent exchange rate policies to overall performance as a responsible stakeholder, and adds 'and practices' to the sunset compliance standard.
REQUIREMENT

Added a requirement for 'enhanced multilateral and bilateral surveillance by the IMF' alongside the transparency mandate in Section 3(1).

Removed the standalone provision (former Section 3(2)) requiring compliance by China with IMF information requests regarding exchange rate policies and holdings, consistent with the Articles of Agreement.

Changed 'the publication of any significant divergences' to 'the inclusion of any significant divergences' in Section 3(2), weakening the requirement from public disclosure to mere inclusion (likely in internal consultation documents).

SCOPE

Broadened the quota and voting share evaluation criterion from specifically 'non-transparent exchange rate policies undertaken by the People's Republic of China' to the more general 'performance of China as a responsible stakeholder in the international monetary system,' making it harder to trigger and less targeted.

TIMELINE

Added the word 'and practices' to the sunset compliance standard, changing it from 'exchange rate policies consistent with those of other issuers' to 'exchange rate policies and practices consistent with those of other issuers,' slightly broadening what China must demonstrate to trigger early termination.

Floor votes · House Jan 12, 2024

How they voted

3791
Passed · 52 other
Total votes 432
Jan 12, 2024
D Democratic213
183 Yea 30
85% Yea
I Independent1
1 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican218
195 Yea 1 Nay 22
89% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
15
Key actions
3
Committee
4
Amendments
3
Jan 16, 2024
Committee
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
upper
Jan 12, 2024
Introduced
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 379 - 1 (Roll no. 9). (text: 1/10/2024 CR H35)
lower
Jan 12, 2024
Lower · Passed
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 379 - 1 (Roll no. 9). (text: 1/10/2024 CR H35)
lower
Jan 10, 2024
Introduced
Mr. McHenry moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
lower
Dec 1, 2023
Lower · Passed
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Financial Services. H. Rept. 118-291.
lower
Feb 28, 2023
Introduced
Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 36 - 0.
lower
Feb 28, 2023
Lower · Passed
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
lower
Feb 6, 2023
Committee
Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
lower
Feb 6, 2023
Introduced
Introduced in House
lower
1 primary · 6 co-sponsors

Sponsors