SAFE Act of 2025

Summary

Authorizes USDA officials (through APHIS and FSIS), the Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, and the U.S. Trade Representative (as a consultative partner) to negotiate in advance with trading partners on regionalization, zoning, compartmentalization, and related arrangements to limit export disruptions when animal disease outbreaks occur. The change clarifies it does not restrict USTR’s authority over broader trade negotiations or force inclusion of such language in unrelated trade agreements.

• Authorizes USDA (APHIS and FSIS) and the Trade Under Secretary to pre-negotiate regionalization, zoning, compartmentalization, and related measures with trading partners to limit export losses during animal disease outbreaks.
• Requires negotiators to consider accepted global research advances where practicable when arranging disease-related trade measures.
• Requires consultation with the U.S. Trade Representative but does not limit USTR’s overall trade negotiation authority.
• Does not mandate new funding or detailed implementation steps; relies on existing agency authorities.
• Aims to protect export markets and reduce broad trade bans by enabling pre-agreed, targeted responses when animal diseases occur.
• Preserves existing statutory language by redesignating the previous subsection.
• Applies to negotiations with foreign governments; it does not itself create specific trade commitments or alter current trade agreements.
• Intended to speed and standardize responses to animal disease events in the trade context, potentially reducing economic harm to producers and exporters.