Imported Seafood Safety Standards Act
The Imported Seafood Safety Standards Act would create a new federal fund in the Treasury called the Inspection and Consumption of Shrimp and Shrimp Products Fund. The fund would be financed by transferring 70% of duties collected on imported shrimp and shrimp-containing products (as identified by specific Harmonized Tariff Schedule subheadings) from the general fund, starting in fiscal year 2026 and continuing each year. The money in the Fund would be split evenly each year: half to the Department of Health and Human Services (through the FDA) to inspect and test shrimp for high-risk antibiotic residues, inspect importers, build regulatory capacity, and coordinate with other agencies to ensure imports are not produced with forced labor or from IUU sources; and half to the Department of Agriculture to promote domestic consumption of shrimp. The funds would remain available until expended and would supplement, not replace, existing federal funding for shrimp purchases where appropriate. In short, the bill sets up a dedicated funding stream tied to shrimp import duties to strengthen safety inspections and to boost domestic shrimp demand, while coordinating international supply-chain integrity.
Key Points
- 1Establishment and funding mechanism
- 2- Creates the “Inspection and Consumption of Shrimp and Shrimp Products Fund” in the Treasury.
- 3- Starting in FY2026, the Secretary of the Treasury must transfer to this Fund 70% of the general-fund amounts attributable to duties on shrimp and shrimp-containing products, as listed under specified HS subheadings.
- 4Use of funds: FDA and safety program
- 5- 50% of annual Fund amounts go to the Department of Health and Human Services (through the FDA) to:
- 6- Inspect, examine, sample, and test shrimp for high-risk antibiotic residues.
- 7- Support seafood importer inspections, training, capacity building, and data analytics.
- 8- Coordinate and share data with other federal agencies to prevent forced labor and illegal, unreported, or unregulated (IUU) sourcing, in line with Public Law 117-78.
- 9Use of funds: Promotion of domestic consumption
- 10- 50% of annual Fund amounts go to the Department of Agriculture to promote and encourage domestic consumption of shrimp (per the marketing/promotion authorities referenced in 7 U.S.C. 612c).
- 11Availability and funding nature
- 12- Funds remain available until expended and are supplement, not supplant, existing federal funding for shrimp purchases when applicable.
- 13Scope of imports covered
- 14- The covered shrimp products include those described in specified HS subheadings (e.g., 0306.16.00, 0306.17.00, 0306.35.00, 0306.36.00, 0306.95.00, 1605.21, 1605.29, or successor subheadings).