S.Amdt. 3362

SA 3362, submitted by Mr. Ricketts, aims to add a new section to bill S. 2296 called the Agricultural Products or Inputs Assessment.

The purpose of this amendment is to require the Secretary of Agriculture to provide an annual assessment to the House and Senate agriculture committees regarding how much the United States depends on agricultural products or inputs that the People's Republic of China could weaponize.

Key Changes and Requirements

• Annual Reporting: The Secretary of Agriculture must report on the current domestic production capacity and potential supply chain bottlenecks that the People's Republic of China could exploit.

• Recommendations: The report must include suggestions to reduce dependency on the People's Republic of China, including:

  • Mitigating threats to supply chains.
  • Legislative and regulatory actions to help onshore or nearshore production.
  • Public research investment needs to keep U.S. global leadership.
  • Infrastructure needs for producing, processing, and exporting agricultural goods.

• Covered Inputs: The assessment includes:

  • Equipment, machinery, and technology.
  • Fuel and fertilizers.
  • Feed (including vitamins, amino acids, and minerals).
  • Veterinary drugs, vaccines, and seed.
  • Crop protection chemicals.
  • Other inputs as determined by the Secretary.

• Information Protections:

  • Data collection from private entities must be voluntary.
  • Information must be used only for aggregate data and kept confidential.
  • The Secretary must ensure the assessments do not include trade secrets or confidential information.