SAFETY Act of 2025

The Safeguarding American Food and Export Trade Yields Act of 2025, or SAFETY Act of 2025, seeks to amend the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 to safeguard foreign markets for United States agricultural goods that use common names . The bill establishes a detailed definition for "common name," encompassing terms ordinarily used for agricultural commodities and food products, including specific examples for cheeses like Asiago and Parmesan, wine varietals, and beer styles such as Pale Ale and Pilsener. This definition explicitly excludes wine appellations of origin and requires consistency with Codex Alimentarius Commission standards, allowing the Secretary to consider various sources for determination. Furthermore, the legislation mandates the Secretary of Agriculture and the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to coordinate efforts to secure the right of U.S. agricultural producers and exporters to use these common names in international markets. This is to be achieved through the negotiation of bilateral, plurilateral, or multilateral agreements, memoranda of understanding, or exchanges of letters, ensuring both current and future use. The bill also classifies the prohibition of common name usage as an unfair trade practice and requires semi-annual briefings to Congress on the progress and success of these negotiation efforts.