No images? Click here USDA Launches Loan Guarantee Program to Create More Market Opportunities, Promote Competition and Strengthen America’s Food Supply Chain U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack on Thursday, December 9, 2021, announced USDA is deploying $100 million under the new Food Supply Chain Guaranteed Loan Program to make available nearly $1 billion in loan guarantees; these loan guarantees will back private investment in processing and food supply infrastructure that will strengthen the food supply chain for the American people. GCCA has advocated the importance of access to capital to help members expand their operations and strengthen the food supply chain. Through the Food Supply Chain Guaranteed Loan Program, USDA will partner with lenders to guarantee loans of up to $40 million to help eligible entities expand meat and poultry processing capacity and finance other food supply chain infrastructure. USDA Rural Development (RD) will administer the loans. We are excited that many GCCA members with operations in the U.S. will be eligible to participate in this new loan program. Funding may be used to:
GCCA encourages interested borrowers to talk to their preferred lender to determine if the lender is approved through the OneRD Guarantee Loan Initiative. If not, you may want to encourage them to participate. Otherwise, contact your state USDA Rural Development office for assistance with identifying a participating lender. Read more about this program HERE. Read the USDA fact sheet HERE. ALERT: NEW China Regulations on the Registration and Administration of Overseas Producers of Imported FoodGCCA would like to alert you to evolving policies impacting facilities worldwide that are exporting food products to China. China is reforming its management of imported food products by issuing several batches of key administrative decrees, e.g., General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC) Decree No.248 Regulations on Registration and Administration of Overseas Manufacturers of Imported Food. Under Decree No. 248, all food manufacturers and temperature-controlled warehouses handling food products exported to China must be registered with GACC. GACC Decree No.248 is schedule to take effect on January 1, 2022. In order to better prepare your businesses, please review the attached GCCA fact sheet HERE. GCCA members currently exporting food products to China are strongly encouraged to review the fact sheet and take appropriate steps to register and avoid potential disruptions in exports to China. Details around implementation of the Decree are continuing to evolve and GCCA will provide additional information and clarifications and information becomes available. Senate Votes to Nix Biden's Vaccine Mandate for BusinessesThe Senate on Wednesday, December 8, 2021, voted to nix President Biden’s vaccine mandate for larger businesses, handing Republicans a symbolic win. Senators voted 52-48 on the resolution, which needed a simple majority to be approved. Democratic Sens. Jon Tester (Mont.) and Joe Manchin (W.Va.) voted with Republicans, giving it enough support to be sent to the House. The resolution faces an uphill path in the House, where Republicans aren’t able to use a similar fast-track process to force a vote over the objections of Democratic leadership. Instead, Republicans are hoping to get the simple majority needed to force a vote through a discharge petition, which will require support from a handful of House Democrats. But Republicans view Wednesday’s Senate vote as a significant win, and it’s the first time they’ve been able to use the Congressional Review Act to successfully get a resolution targeting a Biden rule through the Senate. GCCA currently has an active grassroots campaign urging the House of Representatives to pass this resolution. If you have not done so already, we strongly encourage you to take action and contact your representative on this issue by clicking HERE. U.S. Contractors Scramble After Court Halts Biden’s Shot MandateA nationwide block on the Biden administration’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate for millions of federal contractor workers sparked continued confusion for their employers and signals a threat to future executive orders aimed at businesses with government pacts. A Georgia federal judge issued a preliminary injunction on Tuesday, December 7, 2021, against the measure for contractors, which employ roughly a quarter of the U.S. workforce. The judge said a state coalition’s challenge to it had a strong chance of succeeding and that the Biden administration mandate amounted to overreach. The contractor mandate was part of a suite of Biden administration moves to boost vaccination rates, including an Occupational Safety and Health Administration emergency shot-or-test rule for companies with more than 100 employees and a regulation for healthcare workers. Those have also been frozen as court challenges continue. Health officials have said as efforts to require the U.S. workforce to be vaccinated are delayed, the more likely the Covid-19 pandemic will have the chance to thrive and spike anew as variants emerge. The U.S. government already asked for an emergency stay of a similar, but narrower injunction issued by a Kentucky court, in a suit involving that state, Tennessee, and Ohio. An appeal is also likely in the Georgia-led seven-state case, which would be considered by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Those challenges were part of a string of lawsuits filed around the country that said Biden overreached his executive power in demanding that U.S. contractors vaccinate their workers. Employment lawyers previously expressed skepticism about the suits, arguing that businesses that take federal money may likely face compliance. Ocean Shipping Reform Act Passes House with Bipartisan SupportThe first major update to global shipping regulations in decades is a step closer to reality. The House on Wednesday, December 8, 2021, voted 364-60 to pass the bipartisan bill (H.R. 4996) that seeks to help the Federal Maritime Commission crack down on unfair ocean carrier practices. Lawmakers said the bill would help address the supply chain issues with the ocean shipping industry that have worsened because of the pandemic. Of particular interest to GCCA members, the bill would require ocean carriers or marine terminal operators to certify that any late fees (“detention and demurrage”)—comply with federal regulations or face penalties. It would also shift the burden of proof regarding the reasonableness of “detention or demurrage” charges from the invoiced party to the ocean carrier or marine terminal operator. Ocean carriers would also be prohibited from declining opportunities for U.S. exports unreasonably, as determined by the FMC in new required rulemaking. The bill, which would still need to pass through the Senate, has seen opposition from industry. The World Shipping Council warned the bill would increase congestion and hike costs for businesses and consumers. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) said at a hearing Tuesday, December 7, 2021, that he planned to introduce the companion bill in the Senate. If you have not yet participated in our grassroots campaigns, but would like to take action to oppose the PRO Act or oppose the harmful tax hikes in the American Job’s Plan, click the Take Action tab above now.
Missed last week's Washington Weekly? Catch up here on all our past editions. |