The FRIDGE Act helps U.S. farmers sell more agricultural products overseas by improving storage and transportation infrastructure in developing countries. Right now, American crops like fruits, vegetables, and other perishables often get damaged or spoiled when they're shipped to countries that lack proper cold storage facilities and reliable ports. This bill gives the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service money to work with trade organizations to fix these problems in new and emerging markets.

Specifically, the government will hire experts to assess what infrastructure improvements each country needs, provide training to local workers, and offer technical assistance to build better cold chain systems (the refrigerated trucks, warehouses, and storage facilities needed to keep food fresh) and upgrade ports. By making sure American agricultural products arrive in good condition, this bill aims to open up new markets for U.S. farmers and help them export more goods. It's essentially an investment in fixing the weak links in the supply chain overseas so American agriculture can compete and grow internationally.

FRIDGE Act of 2023

Braun, Mike

Fortifying Refrigeration Infrastructure and Developing Global Exports Act of 2023 or the FRIDGE Act of 2023 This bill expands the Foreign Market Development Cooperator Program to include funding for technical assistance for infrastructure-related projects to ensure U.S. agricultural commodities are not damaged or lost due to infrastructure deficiencies in new and developing markets. This Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) program funds projects that address long-term opportunities to reduce foreign import constraints or expand export growth opportunities.Specifically, the bill directs FAS to enter into contracts or other agreements with trade organizations to enhance the infrastructure capabilities (including cold chain capacity and port improvements) in new and developing foreign markets through needs assessments, training, and other technical assistance.&nbsp;&nbsp;