FRIDGE Act of 2023
Key claim: The FRIDGE Act of 2023 would expand USDA’s Foreign Market Development Cooperator Program to fund technical assistance and cold-chain capacity building in developing countries to protect U.S. agricultural exports from spoilage.
Abstract
(HR4612 · 118th Congress) 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. Latest action (2023-07-13): Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Why this matters
The proposal would extend agricultural trade promotion to overseas handling and storage constraints that can cause losses for U.S. exporters and importers in developing countries. Reduced spoilage could improve food availability and lower loss-related costs, but consumer-price effects are not established; the finding describes an introduced bill, not an implemented expansion.