CONGRESSMAN
Aila Boyd
aboyd@mainstreetnewspapers.com
WASHINGTON — Rep. Ben Cline on March 12 introduced legislation he says would help streamline the shipping of American-made products during periods of supply chain strain.
The proposed Protecting Access to American Products Act would amend U.S. maritime law to ensure domestically produced goods can reach American markets, particularly when transportation barriers limit movement between U.S. ports.
The measure is intended to provide administrative flexibility when supply chain continuity is uncertain.
Cline said the legislation would help prevent situations in which domestically produced goods, including oil and petroleum products, cannot be transported between American ports because a qualified vessel is unavailable. In such cases, he said, companies may be forced to rely on foreign imports despite strong domestic production.
“Excessive red tape and outdated regulations are slowing the delivery of essential goods and making it harder for Americans to access products made right here at home,” Cline said in a statement. “The Protecting Access to American Products Act offers a commonsense, practical solution by streamlining the waiver process and helping ensure that American-made goods, including American energy products, can move across the country more easily.”
The bill would maintain protections for American maritime jobs while supporting domestic manufacturing and energy supply chains, according to Cline.
Companion legislation has been introduced in the Senate by Mike Lee.
“Outdated regulations are forcing Americans to buy gas and other products from despotic regimes instead of our own producers,” Lee said in a statement. “America produces liquefied natural gas, but we can’t ship it to other American ports due to hundred-year-old red tape. States in need of LNG are forced to rely on Russia for their energy supply — a national security risk and lost opportunity for America’s economy.”
Lee said the bill would allow waivers for industries such as liquefied natural gas when existing restrictions prevent domestic shipments.
Cline represents Virginia’s 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
