Rep. Young Kim Introduces BOOST for American Business Act toStrengthen U.S. Economic Competitiveness Abroad

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Young Kim (CA-40) introduced the Building Overseas Opportunities & Strategic Trade (BOOST) for American Business Act to support American businesses abroad and protect critical American industries from foreign adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). 

American businesses competing in international markets too often lack a strong advocate in their corner. The BOOST Act addresses this by building a team of economic officers at U.S. embassies around the world to open doors for American companies and advance U.S. economic interests. 

“U.S. businesses are competing for America on the world stage. They deserve a team that goes to bat for them,” said Rep. Young Kim. “The BOOST for American BusinessAct empowers our embassies to strategically advocate for American companies, open doors in foreign markets, and defend U.S. economic interests abroad. As Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific, I have seen firsthand that economic security is national security. This bill helps ensure America leads the global economy while advancing President Trump’s America First agenda of prosperity, competitiveness, and strength for American workers and businesses.” 

The BOOST for American Business Act will strengthen the U.S. State Department’s commercial diplomacy efforts by: 

• Establishing a new specialized Foreign Service track that recruits officers with private-sector, financial, and business expertise to support American companies in overseas markets;
• Building a professional commercial diplomacy workforce trained in commercial advocacy, market access, trade barriers, and business intelligence;
• Expanding hiring authorities to recruit trade and economic experts and grow the commercial diplomacy workforce to 500 officers by 2028;
• Strengthening coordination between the Departments of State and Commerce to reduce duplication and better align America’s commercial diplomacy efforts abroad; and
• Elevating economic diplomacy as a national security priority and positioning the State Department to more aggressively advance U.S. economic interests overseas.

Read the full bill text HERE.