AMS Approves Increased Fee on Imported Fresh Mushrooms, Etc. Effective January 1, 2005
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has issued a news release announcing that it has approved an increase in the mandatory assessment under the Mushroom Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Program.
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Effective January 1, 2005, the mandatory assessment rate will increase to $0.0024 per pound of mushrooms marketed or imported for the fresh market in the U.S. (from $0.0020 (two tenths of a cent) per pound).
According to AMS, this increased rate will affect producers and importers who produce or import an average of over 500,000 pounds of mushrooms annually for fresh use.
- CFR 1209.51(e)(3) states that the import assessment uniformly applies to imported mushrooms that are identified by HTS 0709.51.0000 or any other HTS number used to identify fresh mushrooms.
(According to 7 CFR 1209.51(b)(5), the Mushroom Council may change the rate of assessment for a fiscal year (FY) at any time with the approval of the Secretary of Agriculture as necessary to reflect changed circumstances, except that any such changed rate may not exceed certain specified levels for applicable FYs.)
also termed a fee or tax
(See ITT's Online Archives or 08/12/04 news, 04081215, for BP list of commodities subject to AMS research and promotion program import fees.)
AMS contact - Deborah Simmons (202) 720-9916
AMS news release (No. 207-04, dated 10/13/04) available at http://www.ams.usda.gov/news/207-04.htm