The U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) today welcomed Congress’ significant investment in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s trade promotion capacity, as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
The bill, passed through Congress’ reconciliation process, establishes the new Supplemental Agricultural Trade Promotion Program and provides $285 million annually in permanent mandatory funding. This complements USDA’s Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD) programs, which are typically funded at about $235 million combined annually—effectively doubling USDA’s total funding for programming dedicated to increasing U.S. agriculture exports.
“We are grateful for Congress increasing its investment in trade promotion funding, which is essential to expanding opportunities for U.S. dairy exports in competitive global markets,” said Krysta Harden, USDEC president and CEO. “These are extremely popular programs that we know work and provide a return on investment. This funding will help ensure that America’s dairy producers can reach more consumers around the world with high-quality, sustainably produced products, driving growth for the U.S. dairy industry and rural communities around the country.”