U.S. Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif., has coauthored bipartisan legislation he says would open new markets to California’s agricultural products by providing technical assistance on building new infrastructure such as cold chain storage.

Costa’s Fortifying Refrigeration Infrastructure and Developing Global Exports (FRIDGE) Act would direct the USDA to negotiate contracts to deliver needs assessments, training and other technical assistance in new and developing foreign markets, according to a release.

“Our agricultural economy relies on efficient refrigeration systems to put food on America’s dinner table. We need to invest in our infrastructure to better store and deliver American products around the world,” said Costa, a senior member of the House Agriculture Committee. “This legislation will build a more resilient supply chain and expand access to new export markets for American producers.”

In 2021, the top three markets for American pork -- China, Japan, and Mexico -- accounted for 63% of U.S. exports. In that same year, the top three markets for beef -- Japan, South Korea, and China -- accounted for 60% of U.S. exports. These facts underscore the need to maintain these trading partners and establish new markets to build a resilient supply chain for producers, proponents say.

The FRIDGE Act would provide up to $1 million over the next five years.

Costa’s cosponsors are Reps. Salud Carbajal, D-Calif., Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, and Tracy Mann, R-Kan.

Source: Office of U.S. Rep. Jim Costa