# Plain Language Summary: Stop Raising Prices on Food Act

This bill puts the brakes on the President's ability to slap new tariffs (taxes on imports) on food and agricultural products coming from major farming countries. Right now, the President can impose these tariffs pretty quickly using emergency powers, but this bill says "not so fast" when it comes to our biggest agricultural trading partners. The bill specifically targets the five countries that sell the most farm products to America—think countries like Canada, Brazil, Mexico, and the European Union—and says the President can't add new tariffs on their goods without getting Congress to approve it first.

Here's how it would work in practice: If the President wants to impose a new tariff on, say, imported beef or grain from one of these major agricultural partners, they'd have to submit a detailed request to Congress explaining what they're trying to accomplish, why tariffs are better than other options like negotiations, and what impact it would have on American farmers. Then Congress would have 15 days to vote on whether to approve it. If Congress doesn't pass a joint resolution giving the green light, the President can't go ahead with the tariff. This is a significant change because currently the President has much more freedom to impose tariffs on their own authority.

The practical effect would be that food prices could stay more stable. When tariffs get added to imported agricultural products, those costs usually get passed along to consumers at the grocery store. By requiring Congressional approval for these tariffs on major food-producing countries, the bill aims to prevent sudden price spikes on items like produce, meat, and grains. However, supporters of presidential tariff authority might argue this limits the President's flexibility in trade negotiations or responding to unfair trade practices.

Stop Raising Prices on Food Act

Gray, Adam

Stop Raising Prices on Food ActThis bill requires the President to receive congressional approval in order to proclaim or increase the rates of duty (i.e., tariffs) on articles imported into the United States from covered countries. Under the bill, a covered country is one of the five countries with the highest volume of U.S. agricultural goods imported into the country in the preceding fiscal year, as determined by the President. The bill treats the European Union and its member countries as a single country.Specifically, the President may proclaim a new or additional covered duty (e.g., a duty proclaimed pursuant to Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962) on an article imported into the United States from a covered country only if (1) the President submits to Congress a request for authorization to proclaim or increase the duty and the request contains specified information, such as a description of the objective the President seeks to achieve with the action and an assessment of the likely impact on the U.S. agricultural economy; and (2) a joint resolution of approval is enacted into law.