Joseph Rafshoon
Senior Manager, Government Affairs
Washington, DC
Joseph is a senior government affairs manager at the US-China Business Council where he focuses on legislative branch engagement and research. Before the USCBC, Joseph was a congressional staffer for Congresswoman Carolyn Bourdeaux (GA-07). Joseph received his bachelor’s degree from Wake Forest University in Chinese language and Culture and Politics and International Affairs. While at Wake, Joseph studied abroad at Donghua University in Shanghai, China where he held an internship at NIU Technologies. He is a native of Atlanta, Georgia and is conversational in Mandarin Chinese. Outside of USCBC, Joseph is an avid sports fan and outdoor enthusiast, regularly going hiking, biking, and swimming.
12 Posts
Member Exclusive
119th Congress: The House Committee Leaders Who Will Drive China Policy
With Republicans maintaining control of the House of Representatives in the 119th Congress, which runs from now through December 2026, many of the same China policy priorities from last year are expected to stay front and center. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) is likely to task standing committee chairs with keeping the pressure on China-related proposals, though these will have to be balanced with other Republican priorities like immigration policy and tax cuts.
Member Exclusive
Washington Considers Historic Shift In Tariff Policy Toward China
President-elect Donald Trump and many other Republicans have made clear their intention to revoke China’s permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) status with the United States, a power that resides with Congress. Some, however, see the need for even higher tariffs than what would result from a so-called clean PNTR repeal, which has led to growing calls for the United States to both revoke China’s status and create a new tariff column entirely—column 3—designed specifically for imports from China.
Member Exclusive
A Look at Recent US Tariff Developments Ahead of the Election
The impending presidential and congressional transition in the United States is prompting American policymakers to push for final approval on long-debated tariff policies, in part in an effort to win voters. The initiatives in question—the final Section 301 determination, new de minimis rule, and ongoing debate over China’s trade status with the United States—are all in different stages but stem from similar motives.
Member Exclusive
Where Biden and Trump Fall on Trade and Investment with China
With more than 80 percent of Americans holding an unfavorable view toward China according to the Pew Research Center, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are vying to convince voters that their approach to managing the US-China relationship is the right one.
Member Exclusive
The New Proposal to Repeal De Minimis Treatment for Many Products from China
A newly approved bill from the House Ways and Means Committee has reignited the discussion over a popular trade provision utilized by those who sell and ship their goods to the United States, especially by companies in China. The de minimis rule allows products valued under $800 to be expedited at US ports without paying tariffs that would otherwise be applied.
Forecast 2025
