U.S.-based NGOs Oppose Costly Changes To Cargo Preference
That Cut U.S. International Food Aid Programs
The organizations listed below strongly oppose Section 318 of H.R. 4005, the Coast Guard
and Maritime Transportation Act of 2014, which passed the House of Representatives on
April 1, 2014. This provision would increase from 50 percent to 75 percent the portion of
U.S.-sourced food aid commodities that must be transported on privately owned, U.S.flagged commercial vessels. The Department of Homeland Security has warned that this
change would increase transportation costs for U.S. international food aid programs by
$75 million annually, and result in at least 2 million vulnerable people losing access
to life-saving food aid from the United States.
This proposed change to cargo preference immediately follows the Bipartisan Budget Act
of 2013, which eliminated mandated reimbursements intended to offset part of the ocean
freight cost of international food aid programs. Together, the cumulative effect drastically
increases the cost of shipping U.S. food and will have an overwhelmingly negative impact
on the ability to operate food aid programs efficiently.
Furthermore, an increase in agricultural cargo preference requirements would wipe out the
efficiency gains made to international food aid programs in the recently passed bipartisan
Farm Bill and the FY2014 omnibus appropriations bill, dramatically reducing the overall
number of vulnerable people fed by life-saving U.S. food aid. Adoption of Section 318
would also reverse the bipartisan decision by Congress in 2012 to reduce cargo preference
requirements for U.S.-sourced food aid from 75 percent to the current level of 50 percent.
When 842 million people around the world go hungry every day, making every food aid
dollar count is both a responsible use of taxpayer money and a moral imperative. We
should allocate more of our resources to feed the poor and most vulnerable, not less. U.S.
food aid saves millions of lives each year. Therefore, we urge the Senate to reject any
actions that increase transportation costs for food aid and prevent hungry people around
the world from receiving U.S. food assistance.
Action Aid USA
Action Against Hunger | ACF USA
Africare
American Jewish World Service
Bread for the World
CARE USA
Catholic Relief Services
Church World Service
Concern Worldwide (US) Inc.
Faiths for Safe Water
Helen Keller International
InterAction
Lutheran World Relief
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
Mercy Corps
Modernizing Foreign Assistance
Network
Mennonite Central Committee U.S.
Washington Office
ONE
Oxfam America
Quixote Center
RESULTS
Save the Children
Self Help Africa
The Borgen Project
The Hunger Project
United Methodist Church, General
Board of Church and Society
World Food Program USA