Specialty CROP Act of 2026
- Bill Number
- H.R. 7670
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Agriculture and Food
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-02-25: Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-03T08:05:44Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The Specialty Crops Reporting on Opportunities and Promotion Act of 2026 (H.R. 7670), also known as the Specialty CROP Act of 2026, aims to improve oversight of U.S. agricultural trade by requiring an annual report on barriers affecting the export competitiveness of specialty crops. Specialty crops include fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and other similar products. The goal is to identify foreign trade obstacles, assess their impacts, and track U.S. government responses to promote fairer international markets for these exports.
Key Provisions
- Annual Reporting Requirement: The Secretary of Agriculture (from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA), in consultation with the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), must submit an annual report to relevant congressional committees on the competitiveness of U.S. specialty crop exports.
- Report Contents:
- Identification and analysis of foreign countries' acts, policies, or practices that hinder U.S. exports, such as tariffs (taxes on imports, including retaliatory ones), quotas (limits on import quantities), and nontariff barriers (e.g., technical standards, health/safety measures for plants and animals known as sanitary and phytosanitary measures, import licensing, and subsidies).
- Estimates of how these barriers affect U.S. export competitiveness, including potential additional export value if barriers were removed.
- Evaluation of whether these barriers violate international trade agreements to which the U.S. is a party.
- Details on U.S. executive branch actions taken or planned, such as using Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 (which allows trade remedies against unfair practices), negotiations with foreign governments (including under free trade agreements), or actions at the World Trade Organization (WTO, a global body for trade rules), like dispute settlements.
- Explanation of any unspent funds from a specific USDA program for specialty crop promotion that were not used in the prior year.
- Public Input Process: Before finalizing the report, the USDA and USTR must solicit comments from the public and the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Fruits and Vegetables (a group of experts advising on ag trade) and incorporate relevant feedback.
- Report Format: The report must be unclassified and publicly available in a machine-readable digital format (e.g., for easy data analysis), though it may include a classified (restricted-access) annex for sensitive information.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
This bill amends Section 203(e)(7) of the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978, which previously addressed reporting on agricultural trade but did not specifically mandate an annual, detailed report focused on specialty crops. The changes expand the scope to require comprehensive, yearly analysis tailored to specialty crops, including new elements like impact estimates, international agreement assessments, unobligated funds reporting, public comment periods, and machine-readable public release. This shifts from potentially ad-hoc or broader reporting to a structured, recurring process.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: Increases workload for USDA and USTR to produce and coordinate the annual report, including public consultations and data analysis. It may prompt more proactive trade enforcement actions, such as WTO disputes or bilateral negotiations, to address identified barriers.
- On Citizens: U.S. farmers and producers of specialty crops could benefit from greater visibility into trade obstacles, potentially leading to policy changes that boost exports, stabilize markets, and increase income. Consumers might see indirect effects through more competitive U.S. agriculture, though no direct consumer impacts are specified.
- On International Relations: Could strain or strengthen ties with trading partners by highlighting and challenging their trade practices, encouraging compliance with global rules. It supports U.S. efforts in multilateral forums like the WTO, potentially fostering fairer trade but risking retaliatory measures if barriers are disputed.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- U.S. Specialty Crop Producers and Exporters: Farmers, growers, and agribusinesses in states with high specialty crop production (e.g., California, Florida) who rely on exports and face foreign barriers.
- Government Entities: USDA (leads report preparation), USTR (provides trade expertise), and congressional agriculture committees (receive and oversee reports).
- Advisory and Public Groups: The Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Fruits and Vegetables and the general public, who provide input.
- Foreign Governments and Traders: Countries identified in reports (e.g., major importers like the EU or China) may face U.S. pressure to adjust policies.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Reinforces existing trade laws by mandating detailed reporting under the Agricultural Trade Act, potentially enabling stronger use of tools like Section 301 remedies or WTO disputes without creating new enforcement powers. Ensures compliance with transparency requirements in trade agreements.
- Constitutional: No direct challenges; aligns with Congress's constitutional authority over foreign commerce (Article I, Section 8) by directing executive agencies on reporting without infringing on executive trade negotiation powers.
- Political: Provides Congress with tools to monitor and influence executive trade policy, particularly supporting rural and agricultural constituencies. It promotes bipartisanship in ag trade (introduced by representatives from both parties) and could highlight issues in ongoing trade tensions, aiding advocacy for specialty crop sectors without major controversy.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Bonamici, Suzanne [D-OR-1]
Cosponsors (6)
Rep. Valadao, David G. [R-CA-22], Rep. Costa, Jim [D-CA-21], Rep. Salinas, Andrea [D-OR-6], Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1], Rep. Schrier, Kim [D-WA-8], Rep. Castor, Kathy [D-FL-14]
Recent Actions
- 2026-02-25: Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
- 2026-02-25: Introduced in House
- 2026-02-25: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Specialty Crops Reporting on Opportunities and Promotion Act of 2026 — issued 2026-02-25 — PDF (5 pages)