Comparison Passed House
Trade Promotion Doubled: MAP, FMD, TASC Funding Increases
U.S. agricultural export promotion gets the largest single increase in farm bill history. MAP doubled to $400M+, FMD doubled to $82M, TASC doubled to $18M. New FMD infrastructure subprogram.
The funding increase
| Program | 2018 baseline | 2026 baseline | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market Access Program (MAP) | $200M annually | $400M (FY27), $410M (FY28-31) | Doubled |
| Foreign Market Development (FMD) | $34.5M annually | $70.5M (FY27), $82M (FY28-31) | Doubled |
| Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops (TASC) | $9M annually | $18M annually | Doubled |
| FMD Infrastructure Subprogram | $0 | $1.5M (FY27), up to $5M (FY28+) | New |
| Total Trade Promotion | $243.5M | $510-515M annually | Doubled+ |
What each program does
Market Access Program (MAP)
- Largest U.S. ag export promotion program
- Cost-share funding to U.S. trade associations and cooperatives
- Funds foreign market research, trade missions, foreign buyer outreach, branded product marketing, consumer marketing
- Partners include U.S. Meat Export Federation, Almond Board of California, U.S. Wheat Associates, USA Rice, Cotton Council International
Foreign Market Development (FMD)
- Generic commodity promotion (vs MAP’s branded promotion)
- Develops, maintains, and expands foreign markets for U.S. agricultural commodities
- Partners include U.S. Wheat Associates, U.S. Soybean Export Council, U.S. Grains Council
Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops (TASC)
- Specialty crop industry support
- Addresses sanitary and phytosanitary trade barriers
- Funds market access projects, technical seminars, regulatory analysis
NEW: FMD Infrastructure Subprogram
- Authorizes USDA to enhance infrastructure capabilities in new and developing foreign markets
- Addresses port damage, cold chain failures, storage losses
- Up to $1.5M (FY27), $5M (FY28+)
Who benefits
Major commodity organizations
- More dollars for foreign trade missions and buyer outreach
- Expanded foreign market research
- Wider scope of branded promotion
Specialty crop industries
- Particular benefit from TASC doubling
- New competitiveness reports help benchmark vs imports
- Specialty crop export promotion grows
State export programs
- Often coordinate with MAP
- More funding flows through state-level activities
Service providers
- Foreign market research firms
- Trade mission organizers
- Marketing firms doing MAP campaigns
Other Title III changes that affect trade
- Food for Peace transferred from USAID to USDA (Title III)
- Common Names Protection added (Title III)
- At least 50% U.S. commodities required for Food for Peace (Title III)
- Mink trade association ban repealed (Title III)
Combined trade picture
Trade Promotion gets a major increase. Common Names Protection adds a legal tool. Food for Peace shifts toward U.S.-sourced food aid. The combined Title III is substantially more pro-U.S.-export than the 2018 baseline.
Why this funding shifted
Several dynamics:
- Pent-up commodity organization demand: MAP/FMD funding hasn’t kept up with global market growth
- Tariff dynamics: increased trade promotion partly compensates for trade frictions
- Specialty crop political organization: California, Florida, Oregon, Washington influence
- Bipartisan support for export promotion: relatively uncontroversial vs other titles
What’s NOT changed
- General trade policy (USTR, USMCA, etc.), outside farm bill
- Section 232/301 tariff policy, outside farm bill
- WTO compliance framework, outside farm bill