Executive Order 14276

Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness

Signed April 17, 2025, printed at 90 FR 16993. 4 sections of substance, 1,496 words.

In plain English

This order backs the fishing trade. It tells agencies to ease rules and open more waters.

Sec. 1. Background

The United States controls one of the largest and most abundant ocean resources in the world, with over 4 million square miles of prime fishing grounds. With this vast resource and centuries of hard work from American fishermen, our Nation has the greatest seafood in the world. Most American fish stocks are healthy and have viable markets. Despite these opportunities, seafood is one of the most heavily regulated sectors in the United States. Federal overregulation has restricted fishermen from productively harvesting American seafood including through restrictive catch limits, selling our fishing grounds to foreign offshore wind companies, inaccurate and outdated fisheries data, and delayed adoption of modern technology. The United States should be the world's dominant seafood leader. But in addition to overregulation, unfair trade practices have put our seafood markets at a competitive

In plain English

This sets out the case the order makes. It says the country holds over 4 million square miles of fishing grounds. It says most stocks are healthy. It says fishing is heavily regulated. It names catch limits and offshore wind leases. It says data is old and technology slow to arrive.

Sec. 2. Purpose

The United States must address unfair trade practices, eliminate unsafe imports, level the unfair playing field that has benefited foreign fishing companies, promote ethical sourcing, reduce regulatory burdens, and ensure the integrity of the seafood supply chain. Previously, I signed Executive Order 13921 of May 7, 2020 (Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth). That successful order--which remains in effect--enhanced the competitiveness of United States seafood, streamlined regulations, supported maritime jobs and coastal economies, and improved data collection. During the past 4 years, our fishermen were once again crushed under the pressure of unnecessary regulations and unfavorable policies. It is vital that we now build upon our previous hard work with new, additional measures to promote domestic fishing.

In plain English

This states the purpose. Unfair trade must be met. Unsafe imports must be kept out. Foreign fleets should not hold an edge. Rules on fishermen must be eased. It points back to a 2020 order that still stands. It says new steps now build on that.

Sec. 3. Policy

It is the policy of the United States to promote the productive harvest of our seafood resources; unburden our commercial fishermen from costly and inefficient regulation; combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; and protect our seafood markets from the unfair trade practices of foreign nations.

In plain English

This states the policy. Fishing here should bring in more. Fishermen face costly rules. Those rules must be lifted. Slow rules count too. Fishing that breaks the law must be fought. So must fishing that goes unreported. So must fishing no one checks. Markets here must be shielded from unfair trade.

Sec. 4. A New Era of Seafood Policy

(a) The Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and with input from the United States fishing industry, shall immediately consider suspending, revising, or rescinding regulations that overly burden America's commercial fishing, aquaculture, and fish processing industries at the fishery-specific level. Within 30 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Commerce shall identify the most heavily overregulated fisheries requiring action and take appropriate action to reduce the regulatory burden on them, in cooperation with the Regional Fishery Management Councils, interagency partners, and through public-private partnerships, as appropriate. This process shall include the following actions: [[Page 16994]] (i) The Secretary of Commerce shall request that each Regional Fishery Management Council, within 180 days of the date of this order,

In plain English

This tells Commerce to act. It must weigh dropping rules that burden fishing. Fish farming and processing are covered. Within 30 days it must name the worst hit fisheries. It must then cut the load on them. Regional councils help with that. Each council must report within 180 days.

Sec. 5. General Provisions

Every order carries this. It is not what the order does.

(a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect: (i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or (ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals. (b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations. (c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person. <GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT> (Presidential Sig.) THE WHITE HOUSE, April 17, 2025. [FR Doc. 2025-07062 Filed 4-21-25; 11:15 am] Billing code 3395-F4-P </pre></body> </html>

In plain English

This is the closing clause that nearly every order carries. It says the order does not change what the law already allows. It also says no one can sue to enforce it.

How this order is quoted

Each section is quoted as the order prints it, under its own number and heading. Executive orders are United States government works and are not under copyright. Long sections are cut at a sentence and the whole order is a click away.