Saving Seafood

Lawmakers press for investigation into forced labor in seafood supply chains

February 20, 2024 — A group of bipartisan lawmakers are asking the Biden administration to investigate forced labor allegations in seafood supply chains in China.

The group is led by California Reps. Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.) and Michelle Steel (R-Calif.).

They wrote a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and acting U.S. Customs and Border Protections Commissioner Troy Miller to urge them to evaluate the supply chain’s alleged force labor ahead of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Ministerial Conference next week.

Read the full article at The Hill

Foodservice Associations, NFI Praise PLUS Act Aimed at COVID-19 Relief for Distributors

July 23, 2020 — Representatives Darin LaHood (R-IL) and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) introduced the Providing Liquidity for Uncollectible Sales (PLUS) Act. The legislation, which provides a tax credit to offset uncollectable debt incurred due to COVID-19 shutdowns, received support from the United Fresh Produce Association, the International Food Distributors Association (IFDA), and National Fisheries Institute (NFI).

Shutdowns lead to significant losses in the foodservice distribution sector as restaurants and other entities were unable to pay distributors for products. According to the NFI, these losses piled up to over $12 billion, with seafood distributors noting that $2.2 billion in debt owed to them, produce noted a $5 billion tab and broadline distributors also saw a $5 billion number.

Read the full story at Seafood News