United States-Russian Federation Seafood Reciprocity Act of 2023

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4165 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4165

 To prohibit the importation of seafood and seafood products from the 
              Russian Federation, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 15, 2023

 Mr. Graves of Louisiana (for himself and Mrs. Peltola) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To prohibit the importation of seafood and seafood products from the 
              Russian Federation, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``United States-Russian Federation 
Seafood Reciprocity Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) In 2014, the Russian Federation invaded and annexed the 
        Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine.
            (2) The United States and its allies imposed sanctions with 
        respect to the Russian Federation as a result of that hostile 
        and illegal action.
            (3) In retaliation, the Government of the Russian 
        Federation imposed an embargo on agricultural products, 
        including seafood, imported from the United States, the 
        European Union, Australia, Canada, and Norway.
            (4) Before imposing the embargo, the Russian Federation was 
        an important export market for United States seafood products.
            (5) Imports into the United States of seafood products of 
        Russian Federation origin increased roughly 173 percent in 
        value between 2013, the year before the imposition of the 
        embargo, and 2020.
            (6) On March 11, 2022, the President issued Executive Order 
        14068 (87 Fed. Reg. 14381; relating to prohibiting certain 
        imports, exports, and new investment with respect to continued 
        Russian Federation aggression), which prohibited the 
        importation of seafood of Russian Federation origin. The Office 
        of Foreign Assets Control of the Department of the Treasury 
        allowed imports of banned seafood that had pre-existing written 
        contracts or written agreements until June 23, 2022.
            (7) Executive Order 14068 does not prohibit the importation 
        of seafood products of Russian Federation origin that are 
        substantially transformed in another country.
            (8) Despite the brutal, illegal invasion of Ukraine by the 
        Russian Federation, seafood products of Russian Federation 
        origin continue to enter United States commerce.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) aggression against Ukraine by the Government of the 
        Russian Federation must prompt a reevaluation of United States-
        Russian Federation trade policies, particularly with respect to 
        categories of goods for which the Government of the Russian 
        Federation has already taken retaliatory action against the 
        United States; and
            (2) a robust United States seafood industry in which 
        domestic consumers and businesses have access to and can 
        purchase domestically and sustainably harvested seafood and 
        seafood products supports national security and United States 
        jobs.

SEC. 4. PROHIBITION ON ENTRY OF SEAFOOD AND SEAFOOD PRODUCTS FROM THE 
              RUSSIAN FEDERATION.

    (a) In General.--The importation into the United States of any 
product described in subsection (b) is prohibited.
    (b) Products Described.--A product described in this subsection is 
a product--
            (1) classifiable under chapter 3 or heading 1604 of the 
        Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States; and
            (2) of Russian Federation origin, including any such 
        product incorporated into another product or substantially 
        transformed in a country other than the Russian Federation.

SEC. 5. TERMINATION.

    (a) In General.--The prohibition under section 4 shall terminate on 
the date that is 90 days after the date on which the President 
determines and certifies to Congress that the Government of the Russian 
Federation has terminated its prohibition on the importation of seafood 
products from the United States.
    (b) Notification to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.--Upon 
making the certification described in subsection (a), the President 
shall notify the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
with respect to the date on which the prohibition under section 4 
terminates.

SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    Section 4 applies with respect to articles imported on or after the 
date that is 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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