Expanding Market Access Act
- Bill Number
- S. 4654
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Agriculture and Food
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-02: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-16T14:58:55Z
AI-Generated Summary
Expanding Market Access Act (S. 4654)
Purpose
This legislation amends the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 to expand agricultural market access for U.S. commodities by enhancing trade promotion programs, improving infrastructure support in foreign markets, and strengthening reporting on specialty crop competitiveness.
Key Provisions
- Infrastructure Technical Assistance: Adds a new paragraph to the Foreign Market Development Cooperator Program authorizing the Secretary of Agriculture to enter contracts or agreements for needs assessments, training, and technical assistance to improve foreign infrastructure (such as cold chain capacity and port improvements) for U.S. agricultural exports, with annual funding caps of $1.5 million in fiscal year 2027 and $5 million thereafter.
- Biennial Competitiveness Report: Revises the report on U.S. specialty crops to require analysis of foreign barriers (including tariffs, quotas, and nontariff measures), competitive impacts, food safety differences, international agreement compliance, and recent or planned U.S. actions (such as under Section 301 or at the World Trade Organization); the report must be public, machine-readable, and informed by public and advisory committee comments.
- Funding Modifications and Extensions: Increases Commodity Credit Corporation funding for the overall program to $255 million in fiscal year 2026, $500 million in 2027, and $533 million annually from 2028 through 2031; adjusts minimum and maximum allocations across program components (e.g., market access, export promotion, and technical assistance).
- Repeals: Eliminates Section 718 of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999, and Section 10602 of Public Law 119-21.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Expands the scope of the Foreign Market Development Cooperator Program beyond traditional promotion to include infrastructure support in new or developing markets.
- Broadens the biennial report's required elements to include detailed barrier identification, impact estimates, and action tracking, while mandating public availability in machine-readable format.
- Raises and extends funding levels significantly compared to prior authorizations (previously set through fiscal year 2023), with updated allocation percentages for specific program activities.
- Removes two statutory provisions previously governing aspects of the program.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Increases responsibilities and funding for the Department of Agriculture and Commodity Credit Corporation in program administration and reporting; requires coordination with the U.S. Trade Representative.
- Citizens and Businesses: May support U.S. agricultural exporters by reducing losses from foreign infrastructure deficiencies and addressing trade barriers for specialty crops.
- International Relations: Could facilitate engagement with foreign governments on infrastructure and trade issues, potentially through free trade agreement committees or World Trade Organization processes.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- U.S. agricultural producers and exporters, particularly those dealing in specialty crops.
- Eligible trade organizations and nonprofit entities involved in supply chain infrastructure.
- Congressional committees on agriculture and trade (House and Senate).
- Foreign governments and markets targeted for U.S. exports.
- The Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Fruits and Vegetables.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Ties program activities to compliance with international agreements and dispute settlement mechanisms, including potential Section 301 actions.
- Requires public comment periods and machine-readable reporting, enhancing transparency in trade policy implementation.
- Involves appropriations from the Commodity Credit Corporation, subject to annual fiscal constraints.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (1)
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-02: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- 2026-06-02: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Expanding Market Access Act — issued 2026-06-02 — PDF (9 pages)