The US House of Representatives will vote as early as next week on a package of measures to toughen US trade enforcement against China, a move aimed at rounding up desperately needed support for a bilateral trade deal with central America.

Bill Thomas, the powerful Republican chairman of the House ways and means committee, on Thursday said he would support legislation to allow US companies to seek import duties if they believe their Chinese competitors are unfairly subsidised by Beijing. In addition, the bill would step up US monitoring of China's compliance with its trade commitments in areas such as intellectual property rights and agriculture, and would tighten reporting requirements on currency manipulation.