Imported Seafood Quality Enforcement Act

This bill tightens safety checks on imported seafood. It requires foreign suppliers to meet U.S. safety standards, with federal inspectors checking each overseas facility at least once a year. At least 20% of all imported seafood must be tested annually. New exporters face extra screening: their first 15 shipments must be tested. If a shipment fails, every later shipment from that exporter is tested until 15 in a row pass. More than three failures in a year triggers a one‑year stop on that exporter’s shipments, and repeated failures from a country can pause all seafood imports from that country until standards are met.

Shipments that fail safety standards must be detained or destroyed, unless they are quickly re‑exported to a country that agrees to take them within 45 days. Rejected shipments must be clearly labeled “UNITED STATES: REFUSED ENTRY.” If a rejected shipment poses serious health risks, it must be destroyed. Ports must be notified within five days when a shipment fails or is detained. Seafood can only come through ports with trained staff certified to inspect and test it; the federal government must staff and train ports to meet this requirement. Exporters will pay fees that fund these inspections. The bill also lets states partner with the federal government: trained, certified state officials can inspect and test imports, with grants to support this work. The federal government must report to Congress each year on testing and results. Knowingly lying about tests or misbranding imported seafood can bring civil fines up to $250,000 per violation, and up to $1.1 million after a second conviction in three years.

Key points

• Who is affected: Seafood importers and exporters, foreign facilities, ports of entry, and state agencies; consumers benefit from stronger safety checks.
• What changes: Annual foreign facility inspections; testing of at least 20% of imports; stricter rules for new exporters and repeat failures; “REFUSED ENTRY” labels and possible destruction of unsafe shipments; only certified ports can accept seafood; exporter fees fund inspections; states can help with inspections; annual public reporting; higher penalties for fraud and misbranding .
• When: Ongoing requirements include yearly inspections and testing; 45‑day window for re‑export of rejected shipments; one‑year suspension for exporters with multiple failures; yearly reports to Congress .