S. 912: Securing American Agriculture Act

The bill titled the Securing American Agriculture Act aims to address the United States' reliance on critical agricultural products and inputs supplied by the People's Republic of China. It mandates the Secretary of Agriculture to perform an annual assessment focusing on this dependency and to report findings to both the Senate and House agriculture committees.

Key Provisions

• Annual Assessment: The Secretary of Agriculture is required to produce an annual report that evaluates the degree to which the U.S. depends on agricultural products or inputs from China. This is particularly focused on scenarios where such dependencies could be manipulated politically or economically.
• Report Contents: The annual assessment must include:
  • The current domestic production capabilities for each critical agricultural input.
  • Potential supply chain vulnerabilities that could be exploited by China.
  • Recommendations for reducing dependency on China, which may involve legislative and regulatory proposals aimed at improving domestic production.
• Critical Inputs Defined: The bill specifies various agricultural inputs to be considered, such as:
  • Agricultural equipment and technology
  • Fuel
  • Fertilizers
  • Animal feed and its components
  • Veterinary drugs and vaccines
  • Chemicals for crop protection
  • Seeds
  • Any other inputs defined by the Secretary as critical
• Information Collection: The Secretary will collect information voluntarily from private entities to carry out the assessments. This will ensure that individual identities are protected, and that trade secrets are not disclosed. The information provided can only be used for the purpose of creating aggregate data.
• Confidentiality: The assessments will not disclose any confidential information, ensuring that proprietary data from private companies remains protected.

Goals of the Bill

The overarching goal of this legislation is to identify and mitigate risks in the U.S. agricultural supply chain, especially those that arise from reliance on Chinese imports. By making this dependency transparent and providing recommendations for action, the bill seeks to enhance food security and agricultural independence in the United States.

Relevant Companies

• DE: Deere & Company could be impacted as it manufactures agricultural equipment and machinery, which is categorized as a critical input under the bill.
• FMC: FMC Corporation produces crop protection chemicals and may be affected due to the focus on ensuring domestic production capabilities.
• CVX: Chevron Corporation, involved in fuel production, may be influenced by the requirements for monitoring fuel supply chain vulnerabilities.