Legislation To Combat Foreign Seafood Dumping Reintroduced by Louisiana Congressman Clay Higgins

Louisiana / Washington D.C. – On August 24, 2022, Congressman Clay Higgins of Louisiana reintroduced H.R. 8732, the Imported Seafood Safety Standards Act of 2022, which is meant to protect American consumers and small businesses from foreign seafood dumping.

The bill forbids the import of foreign seafood that does not meet US standards for seafood manufacture, processing, and storage. It also establishes a program for foreign seafood inspection and puts actual penalties on importers and countries who frequently violate US laws.

According to Higgins, historically, only a small percentage of seafood imports have been inspected as they enter the United States, and foreign bad actors frequently employ prohibited additives while harvesting fish using enslaved workers. These criminal actors are infamous for falsifying import labels in order to avoid discovery by the FDA. The unlawful and irresponsible dumping of seafood imports harms both American consumers and the Gulf seafood economy.

Follow this link to view the complete text of the bill.

Representative Higgins issued the following statement:

“Congress must act against illegal seafood dumping. Foreign seafood imports should be held to American standards. The seafood industry is a critical part of Louisiana’s culture and economy. This legislation combats illegal foreign seafood dumping and protects American producers.”