Mace bill temporarily lifts tariffs on imported infant formula products

U.S. Rep. Mace (R-SC) on May 17 sponsored legislation to improve the infant formula supply chain during the current shortage of product.

“Our nation continues to face crisis after crisis. In addition to record inflation and skyrocketing gas prices, new parents are now unable to buy formula for their babies,” Rep. Mace said in a May 19 statement. “As a solution, I’ve introduced this bill to temporarily lift tariffs on imports of foreign baby formula and help eliminate the current shortage.“

If enacted, H.R. 7802 would temporarily eliminate tariffs on imports of any infant formula product for a 90-day period beginning on the date of the bill’s enactment, according to the text.

Additionally, the legislation would task the U.S. Comptroller General with studying the feasibility of food infant formula distribution centers remaining open for 24 hours a day and any corresponding impacts to supply chains, including to determine whether keeping such centers open 24 hours a day would contribute to increasing the flow of goods and products to store shelves and final points of sale, the text of the bill says. 

The Comptroller General would be required to issue the study and its findings in a report that would be submitted to Congress within 30 days after the date of enactment of H.R. 7802, which has been referred for consideration to both the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee and the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee.

In related action, Rep. Mace on May 18 voted against another bill, the the Infant Formula Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2022, H.R. 7790, introduced on May 17 by U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) to provide $28 million in emergency supplemental appropriations to address the shortage of infant formula in the United States.

“Throwing money at a problem they already have the funds to address isn’t going to solve the problem,”  tweeted Rep. Mace on May 19, the day after the U.S. House of Representatives approved H.R. 7790 in a 231-192 vote and advanced it to the U.S. Senate for action.