Issue 80, December 10, 2009
The U.S. Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has issued a final rule, effective December 7, 2009, increasing the assessment fee on handlers and importers of potatoes. The National Potato Promotion Board approved the assessment rate increase at its March 13, 2009 meeting.
The final rule increases the assessment rate on handlers and importers of potatoes from 2.5 cents to 3 cents per hundredweight.
Specifically, the rules states an assessment rate of 3 cents per hundredweight shall be levied on all table stock potatoes imported into the United States for ultimate consumption by humans and all seed potatoes imported into the United States. An assessment rate of 3 cents per hundredweight shall be levied on the fresh weight equivalents of imported frozen or processed potatoes for ultimate consumption by humans. The importer of imported table stock potatoes, potato products, or seed potatoes shall pay the assessment to the board through the U.S. Customs Service and Border Protection at the time of entry or withdrawal for consumption of such potatoes and potato products into the United States.
The potato products subject to the assessment are those under the following HTS classifications-
0701.10.0020 - 0701.90.5065
0710.01.0000
0712.90.3000
2004.10.4000 – 2004.10.8040
2005.20.0020 – 2005.20.0040
1105.10.0000
1105.20.0000
1108.13.0010
This increase is provided for under the Potato Research and Promotion Plan which is authorized by the Potato Research and Promotion Act. The increase was recommended in order to sustain and expand the National Potato Promotion Board’s promotional, research, advertising and communications programs.
A copy of the AMS final rule can be found at-
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-28924.pdf
Regards,
Paul E. Vroman
Manager, Regulatory & Compliance Consulting and Projects
DHL Global Forwarding
