WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) introduced the Cultural Trade Promotion Act of 2025, bipartisan legislation to strengthen America’s creative industries and expand cultural exports. By bolstering the creative economy, this legislation will help U.S. businesses—including Native-owned, small, and rural enterprises—reach new global markets, create jobs, and strengthen America’s influence abroad amidst increasing competition from China.

“We cannot allow China to continue to outpace the United States in overall cultural exports, and Tennessee is home to countless creative entrepreneurs who need support to export their products and grow their businesses,” said Senator Blackburn. “The Cultural Trade Promotion Act would improve access to international shipping services for these small businesses to strengthen our economy and promote high-quality American goods.” 

“America’s creative industries are a powerful force, driving jobs at home and shaping perceptions of our country abroad. Recently, China has doubled down on promoting its cultural exports, and we’ve been falling behind,” said Senator Schatz. “This bipartisan bill will help us level the playing field by expanding export opportunities for American businesses everywhere from Maui to Memphis so that our creative economy remains the global leader.”

Over the past decade, China has aggressively expanded its cultural trade through coordinated government investments and programs. In 2014, China surpassed the United States in overall cultural exports, and it continues to leverage cultural promotion as part of its Belt and Road Initiative. Meanwhile, America’s cultural trade surplus has declined, dropping from $31.5 billion in 2019 to $17.8 billion in 2021 before rebounding slightly to $21 billion in 2022, according to the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Cultural Trade Promotion Act would direct the Foreign Commercial Service to promote U.S. creative economy goods abroad and require the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee to include the creative economy in its annual governmentwide strategic plan. The bill would also improve access to international shipping services for small businesses by facilitating collaboration between the International Trade Administration and the U.S. Postal Service. Additionally, it would promote products from American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian-owned businesses and include a representative of the creative industries on the Department of Commerce’s Travel and Tourism Advisory Board.