Multiple agricultural trade organizations are pushing Congress to approve the Safeguarding American Value-Added Exports Act introduced by both the House and the Senate. Known as the SAVE Act, the bill would amend the Agriculture Trade Act of 1978 to define common names for agriculture commodities, food products, and marketing terms.
Supporters say legislation is needed to protect American food products from unfair trade practices by other countries. They are especially concerned with European Union (EU) policies restricting the use of certain geographic specific terms. For example, cheese sold as “Roquefort” may only be made in certain parts of France. Only whiskey made in Scotland can be sold as “Scotch.”
Despite this, other common products named for places like bologna, parmesan or chateau can be made anywhere. Many fear EU authorities could look to change this, potentially blocking certain American products from being sold in international markets.
“By exploiting valid geographical indication protections, global competitors have for decades tried to limit competition, block imports, and restrict American-made products from being able to use common food and beverage names,” says Senate co-sponsor John Thune, R-SD. “I’m proud to lead this effort in the Senate to help level the playing field for U.S. producers by ensuring they can use common food names and preserve and expand foreign market access for their products.”
Joining Thune in introducing the Senate bill were Senators Tammy Baldwin, D- IL, Roger Marshall, R- KS, and Tina Smith, D- MN. Sponsors of the House version of the bill included Representatives Dusty Johnson, R- SD, Jim Costa, D-CA, Michelle Fischbach, R- MN, and Jimmy Panetta, D- CA.
Several agriculture trade organizations have expressed their support for the SAVE Act including the U.S. Dairy Export Council, the National Milk Producers Federation, the American Farm Bureau Federation, the North American Meat Institute, the USA Rice Federation, the National Council of Famer Cooperatives, the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture and the Wine Institute.
EDITOR’S TAKE:
This legislation may not seem that significant, but take it from someone who spent a good portion of their career working with policies that impact sales of U.S. products overseas – it is very important! You would not believe all the ways foreign competitors use to block access to markets from U.S. imported goods. One of the primary methods is spelled out in this article. The proposed legislation would be a huge step towards updating our laws and regulations to deal with this tactic. Anything that restricts legitimate access to markets must be eliminated whenever possible. By doing so, allows for freer access and greater sales overseas. More money in the pockets of U.S. farmers and ranchers means greater truck sales over time.
