U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) recently signed on as the lead original cosponsor of a bipartisan bill to bolster federal funding for two U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) export promotion programs that help American farmers compete in the global marketplace.
The Supporting Market Access to Reinvigorate Trade (SMART) Act of 2022, H.R. 9244, which U.S. Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA) sponsored on Oct. 28, would increase funding for the USDA’s Market Access Program (MAP) and the Foreign Market Development Program (FMDP). U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) is also an original cosponsor of H.R. 9244.
“Farmers and ranchers in central Washington and across the country rely on programs like the Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development Program to help expand their customer base and market their products abroad,” said Rep. Newhouse. “By investing further in these programs, we can help strengthen our nation’s agriculture industry and create more good-paying jobs at home while enabling customers around the globe to enjoy Washington’s high-quality, nutritious products.”
According to the text of the bill, the agricultural export promotion programs of foreign competitors have expanded at a far faster rate than the USDA programs, placing United States producers at a competitive disadvantage in international markets.
Likewise, the economic impact of the programs has eroded in recent years, with funding remaining static for the MAP since 2006 and since 2002 for the FMDP, despite increased inflation, the text says.
“Opening and growing new markets for American-made products is critical to building our agricultural economy,” Rep. Costa said. “Food is a global security issue, and we must do all we can to reverse disruptions in trade and grow new partnerships that help deliver American products around the world.”
If enacted, H.R. 9244 would increase funding for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2029 for the MAP to $400 million and to $69 million for the FMDP, according to the text.
“Throughout their history, these programs have offered a phenomenal return on investment for American taxpayers, and continued support for these programs will be critical for American agriculture to continue its global leadership as foreign competitors ramp up investment in export market development,” said Rep. Hinson.