Protecting American Industry and Labor from International Trade Crimes Act of 2026

This bill, titled the "Protecting American Industry and Labor from International Trade Crimes Act of 2025," seeks to significantly strengthen the Department of Justice's enforcement against various trade-related crimes. These crimes are broadly defined to encompass violations related to the evasion of duties, tariffs, and other import and export fees, as well as import and export restrictions, trade-based money laundering, and smuggling. To achieve this, the legislation mandates the establishment of a dedicated task force, named program, or similar structure within the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice. This new structure will be responsible for investigating and prosecuting these offenses, with particular emphasis on health, safety, financial, and economic trade-related crimes, and will be coordinated by a supervisory criminal trial attorney. The Attorney General is directed to create new positions for specialized criminal trial attorneys and support personnel, ensuring experienced prosecutors lead these efforts. The bill also emphasizes promoting effective interaction with law enforcement, industry representatives, and the public to combat these crimes, while explicitly excluding national security-related laws from this structure's focus. Furthermore, the legislation requires participation in joint training events with agencies like Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, alongside developing multi-jurisdictional partnerships with other federal agencies and international trading partners. The Attorney General must submit annual reports to Congress detailing enforcement statistics, funding utilization, and estimated additional funding needs. To support these initiatives, the bill authorizes an appropriation of $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2026, with at least 80 percent allocated to the Criminal Division for prosecuting trade crimes.