Trade

The House Trade Subcommittee is one of six subcommittees within the House Committee on Ways and Means, the chief tax-writing committee of the House. While the full committee has broad jurisdiction over taxation and revenue, the Trade Subcommittee focuses on a specialized slice of that authority: international commerce and trade policy. This specialized panel exists because trade matters require detailed expertise and sustained attention that benefits from dedicated review before reaching the full committee.

The subcommittee's jurisdiction covers customs administration, tariff structure, import classification and valuation, unfair import practices including antidumping and countervailing duties, reciprocal trade agreements, and bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations. It also addresses industry relief from injurious imports, export policy and promotion, and trade relations with developing countries and non-market economies. The subcommittee coordinates with the International Trade Commission and the U.S. Trade Representative on these matters.

The subcommittee is chaired by Adrian Smith (R-NE) with Ranking Member Linda T. Sánchez (D-CA). It has 21 members total. Recent hearings have examined topics including maintaining American innovation and technology leadership, American trade negotiation priorities, trade enforcement priorities, digital trade rules, and trade with Sub-Saharan Africa and other regions. The subcommittee also held a hearing in March 2026 on advancing America's interests at the World Trade Organization's 14th Ministerial Conference, reflecting its ongoing focus on multilateral trade governance.