S.Amdt. 4376

The Housing Tariff Exclusion Act is an amendment to bill H.R. 6644. Its purpose is to address the housing affordability crisis by reducing the cost of building new homes.

The amendment aims to add a process that allows the Secretary of Commerce to exclude certain building materials and products from specific tariffs.

Key goals include:

• Lowering Construction Costs: By excluding "covered articles" (products used in building or furnishing homes) from "covered duties" (tariffs higher than those in effect on January 19, 2025), the act seeks to reduce the billions of dollars in added costs that tariffs place on home construction.
• Increasing Supply: The amendment acknowledges a shortage of 3,000,000 to 5,000,000 housing units and aims to encourage investment in home construction.
• Creating a Request System: It establishes a way for U.S. entities to request exclusions for "critical homebuilding products" or other materials that increase construction costs.
• Ensuring Accountability: The Secretary must publish adjudication results online and provide quarterly reports to Congress, including explanations for any denied requests.