HR 2842119th CongressIn Committee

Stop Raising Prices on Food Act

Introduced: Apr 10, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The Stop Raising Prices on Food Act would curtail the President’s ability to unilaterally impose new or increased tariffs on imports from certain key agricultural trading partners. Specifically, it targets “covered countries”—defined as the five countries with the highest volume of U.S. agricultural goods imported, with the European Union treated as a single partner—and limits duties that can be proclaimed to those issued under certain authorities (such as section 232, section 338, the Trading with the Enemy Act, or the International Emergency Economic Powers Act). Before any such duties can be proclaimed on goods from a covered country, the President must submit a formal request to Congress detailing the objective, why diplomacy or dispute resolution can’t achieve it, and the likely impact on U.S. agriculture; Congress must then pass a joint resolution of approval to authorize the duty. The bill outlines an expedited process for these joint resolutions. In short, the bill shifts tariff power over major agricultural trading partners from the executive branch to Congress, aiming to reduce the risk of food price increases by imposing new duties, and to require legislative approval for such actions.

Key Points

1Covered country definition and EU treatment: The five countries with the highest U.S. agricultural imports determine the set of “covered countries,” and the EU is treated as a single country for this purpose.
2Covered duties: Only duties proclaimed under specified authorities (e.g., section 232, section 338, the Trading with the Enemy Act, IEEPA) are subject to the bill’s constraints.
3Presidential authorization condition: The President may proclaim or increase a duty on imports from a covered country only after a Congress-approved process, including a formal request with objective, rationale for not using diplomacy/dispute mechanisms, and an assessment of impact on the U.S. agricultural economy.
4Joint resolution of approval: Congress must enact a joint resolution approving the President’s request; it becomes the mechanism authorizing the duty.
5Expedited and procedural framework: The bill ties the joint resolution to expedited procedures under the Trade Act of 1974 (section 152) and sets a defined introduction window (15 legislative days) once the President submits the request. It also clarifies legislative-rule treatment for this process.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- U.S. consumers and the domestic food price environment: By requiring congressional approval, the bill aims to reduce the risk of abrupt price increases on imported food products caused by new or higher tariffs.Secondary group/area affected- U.S. agricultural producers and traders: They would face greater policy uncertainty and potential protectionist shifts, and may see more stability in input costs if tariffs are harder to impose without Congress’s approval.- Trading partner countries (including the EU as a bloc): Likely to face slower or more constrained tariff actions, which could affect trade negotiations and retaliatory dynamics.- Congress and the executive branch: Creates a more explicit, fast-track procedure for authorizing tariffs on major agricultural partners, increasing legislative oversight of tariff actions.Additional impacts- Trade policy flexibility: The bill reduces rapid executive unilateral power to impose tariffs on major agricultural partners, potentially limiting the government’s ability to respond quickly to crises.- Economic and diplomatic considerations: Could dampen aggressive tariff postures in agricultural trade and encourage diplomacy or dispute-resolution avenues, but may invite debate about responses to trade tensions and supply chain disruptions.- Administrative complexity: Requires ongoing determination of the top-five agricultural import partners and ongoing assessment of their status, which could shift year by year.

Generated by gpt-5-nano on Nov 18, 2025