On March 31, the Senate unanimously voted to pass the Ocean Shipping Reform Act (S. 3580). The bipartisan bill is co-sponsored by Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and John Thune, R-S.D., and will head back to the House before going on to President Biden.
“I am glad to see the bill pass the Senate,” Robert Guenther, chief public policy officer at the International Fresh Produce Association said in a press release. “The Ocean Shipping Reform Act is essential to our industry and the U.S. export market. We encourage our representatives pass the bill to get it to the President.”
IFPA drafted a letter co-signed by 40 organizations representing the produce industry urging the quick passage of the bill. The letter called for providing more certainty with regards to export markets and the supply chain that has revealed its cracks.
“The fresh produce industry relies heavily on the export market, particularly during recent years,” said in the letter. “The growth in these markets have enabled many fresh produce products to expand their operations to meet growing international demand for American grown produce.”
IFPA’s letter linked industry growth to the urgency of passing the act.
“Failure to address these issues will impede current and future growth of the U.S. fresh produce industry. In addition, it would enable foreign marketers to compete on a different playing field than US producers seeking to export product,” the letter said.
Similar legislation was voted through by a count of 364-40 votes in the House of Representatives, according to the press release. Once the House passes the amended Senate bill, the legislation will head to President Biden for him to sign.
“IFPA has helped lead the effort to reform our trade practices, with a specific focus in the last few years on the challenges facing our members, both importing and exporting fresh produce,” the letter said. “The legislation takes an important step toward correcting the challenges our members have faced, and will prevent future challenges.”
According to the U.S Department of Commerce, U.S. fresh fruit and vegetable producers exported more than $7 billion worth of product, relying heavily on the ports integral to the produce industry.
Closing comments in the letter expresses the frustration over multiple levels of the export market.
“Perhaps most troubling has been the failure to prioritize perishable goods in exports, particularly when it comes to exporting goods to Asia,” the letter said. “Most troubling, perhaps, is the glut of produce loads that have awaited export while empty containers are sent back to Asia.
