Beekeepers and producers of commodities including garlic, mushrooms and crawfish would get payments to compensate them for dumping of products from foreign competitors, under legislation introduced today in the Senate.
The bill introduced by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and fellow Senate Finance Committee member Tina Smith, D-Minn., would direct U.S. Customs and Border Protection “to distribute interest realized on certain anti-dumping and countervailing duties since 2000 to qualifying U.S. producers harmed by decades of trade distortions that continue to undercut these domestic industries,” according to Thune’s office.
The Trade Cheating Restitution Act of 2025 is designed to help producers who have struggled to compete with low-priced imports, mainly from China.
“South Dakota is one of the top honey-producing states in the country,” Thune said in a release. “The unfair practice of circumventing U.S. trade laws, which jeopardizes honey producers’ financial security, should be met with strict enforcement and increased protections.”
Said Smith, “Minnesota farmers produce some of the highest quality honey in the world, and they shouldn’t be unfairly harmed because China doesn’t play by the rules and engages in illegal dumping.”
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CBP needs legislation authorizing it to distribute interest payments collected on bonds covering delinquent antidumping and countervailing duties owed on imports of Chinese honey and other products. Previous legislation authorizing payments expired in 2014.
The amount of interest payments is about $40 million.
The legislation is co-sponsored by Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Gary Peters, D-Mich., and Bill Cassidy, R-La.
“South Dakotan beekeepers are fortunate to have a stalwart champion in Senator Thune, who has never faltered in his support of our industry,” Kelvin Adee of Adee Honey Farms, based in Bruce, South Dakota, said in the release. “The much-needed funds that will be released to us through the bill he introduces today along with Senator Grassley and Senator Smith will help us compete with illegally traded honey and protect the health of our hives. Thank you, Senator Thune, for your leadership and standing up for us.”For more news, go to Agri-Pulse.com.
