2018 Rates Charged for AMS Services, 22239-22243 [2018-10132]
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22239
Notices
Federal Register
Vol. 83, No. 93
Monday, May 14, 2018
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER
contains documents other than rules or
proposed rules that are applicable to the
public. Notices of hearings and investigations,
committee meetings, agency decisions and
rulings, delegations of authority, filing of
petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are
examples of documents appearing in this
section.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[Document No. AMS–LPS–18–0020]
2018 Rates Charged for AMS Services
Agricultural Marketing Service,
USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The Agricultural Marketing
Service (AMS) is announcing the 2018
rates it will charge for voluntary
grading, inspection, certification,
auditing, and laboratory services for a
variety of agricultural commodities
including meat and poultry, fruits and
vegetables, eggs, dairy products, and
cotton and tobacco. The 2018 regular,
overtime, holiday, and laboratory
services rates will be applied at the
beginning of the crop year, fiscal year or
as required by law depending on the
commodity. Other starting dates are
added to this notice based on cotton
industry practices. This action
establishes the rates for user-funded
programs based on costs incurred by
AMS. This year the majority of AMS
user fee rates will remain unchanged,
with the exception of increases for meat,
poultry and egg grading and the hourly
rate for AMS’s Laboratory Approval
Service.
DATES: May 15, 2018.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Charles Parrott, AMS, U.S. Department
of Agriculture, Room 3070–S, 1400
Independence Ave. SW, Washington,
DC 20250; telephone (202) 260–9144,
fax (202) 692–0313, email
charles.parrott@ams.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, as
amended, (AMA) (7 U.S.C. 1621–1627),
provides for the collection of fees to
cover costs of various inspection,
grading, certification or auditing
services covering many agricultural
commodities and products. The AMA
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also provides for the recovery of costs
incurred in providing laboratory
services. The Cotton Statistics and
Estimates Act (7 U.S.C. 471–476) and
the U.S. Cotton Standards Act (7 U.S.C.
51–65) provide for classification of
cotton and development of cotton
standards materials necessary for cotton
classification. The Cotton Futures Act (7
U.S.C. 15b) provides for futures
certification services and the Tobacco
Inspection Act (7 U.S.C. 511–511s)
provides for tobacco inspection and
grading. These Acts also provide for the
recovery of costs associated with these
services.
On November 13, 2014, the
Department of Agriculture (Department)
published in the Federal Register a final
rule that established standardized
formulas for calculating the fees charged
by AMS user-funded programs (79 FR
67313). Every year since then, the
Department has published in the
Federal Register a notice announcing
the rates for its user–funded programs.
This notice announces the 2018 fee
rates for voluntary grading, inspection,
certification, auditing, and laboratory
services for a variety of agricultural
commodities including meat and
poultry, fruits and vegetables, eggs,
dairy products, and cotton and tobacco
on a per-hour rate and, in some
instances, the equivalent per-unit cost.
The per-unit cost is provided to
facilitate understanding of the costs
associated with the service to the
industries that historically used unitcost basis for payment. The fee rates
will be effective at the beginning of the
fiscal year, crop year, or as required by
specific laws. The cotton futures-related
services effective date has been changed
to August 1 to allow for cotton contracts
to expire before starting a new fee rate.
The rates reflect direct and indirect
costs of providing services. Direct costs
include the cost of salaries, employee
benefits, and, if applicable, travel and
some operating costs. Indirect or
overhead costs include the cost of
Program and Agency activities
supporting the services provided to the
industry. The formula used to calculate
these rates also includes operating
reserve, which may add to or draw upon
the existing operating reserves.
These services include the grading,
inspection or certification of quality
factors in accordance with established
U.S. Grade Standards or other
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specifications; audits or accreditation
according to International Organization
for Standardization (ISO) standards and/
or Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Point (HACCP) principles; and other
marketing claims. The quality grades
serve as a basis for market prices and
reflect the value of agricultural
commodities to both producers and
consumers. AMS’ grading and
certification, audit and accreditation,
plant process and equipment
verification, and laboratory approval
services are voluntary tools paid for by
the users on a fee-for-service basis. The
agriculture industry can use these tools
to promote and communicate the
quality of agricultural commodities to
consumers. Laboratory services are
provided for analytic testing, including
but not limited to chemical,
microbiological, biomolecular, and
physical analyses. AMS is required by
statute to recover the costs associated
with these services.
In recent years, many buyers have
begun to specifically require that their
producers be certified to a Global Food
Safety Initiative (GFSI) benchmarked
scheme. At the request of industry, AMS
is starting a new voluntary program that
provides GFSI’s recognition of the
USDA GAP audit verification program.
This voluntary program will allow
producers to use AMS’ trusted and
proven services to gain wider market
access. Accordingly, AMS is including
its voluntary GFSI service audit fee in
this notice. The fee includes the fixed
cost to maintain GFSI recognition.
As required by the Cotton Statistics
and Estimates Act (7 U.S.C. 471–476),
consultations regarding the
establishment of the fee for cotton
classification with U.S. cotton industry
representatives are held in the
beginning of the year when most
industry stakeholder meetings take
place. Representatives of all segments of
the cotton industry, including
producers, ginners, bale storage facility
operators, merchants, cooperatives, and
textile manufacturers were informed of
the fees during various industrysponsored forums.
Rates Calculations
AMS calculated the rate for services,
per hour per program employee, using
the following formulas (a per-unit base
is included for programs that charge for
services on a per-unit basis):
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 93 / Monday, May 14, 2018 / Notices
(1) Regular rate. The total AMS
grading, inspection, certification,
classification, audit, or laboratory
service program personnel direct pay
divided by direct hours for the previous
year, which is then multiplied by the
next year’s percentage of cost of living
increase, plus the benefits rate, plus the
operating rate, plus the allowance for
bad debt rate. If applicable, travel
expenses may also be added to the cost
of providing the service.
(2) Overtime rate. The total AMS
grading, inspection, certification,
classification, audit, or laboratory
service program personnel direct pay
divided by direct hours, which is then
multiplied by the next year’s percentage
of cost of living increase and then
multiplied by 1.5, plus the benefits rate,
plus the operating rate, plus an
allowance for bad debt. If applicable,
travel expenses may also be added to
the cost of providing the service.
(3) Holiday rate. The total AMS
grading, inspection, certification,
classification, audit, or laboratory
service program personnel direct pay
divided by direct hours, which is then
multiplied by the next year’s percentage
of cost of living increase and then
multiplied by 2, plus the benefits rate,
plus the operating rate, plus an
allowance for bad debt. If applicable,
travel expenses may also be added to
the cost of providing the service.
AMS adjusts the rates to cover all of
its expenses and to provide for
reasonable operating reserves. To avoid
an undue burden on industry operations
in these cases, AMS started to phase in
some of the increases over a multi-year
period. AMS continued this process and
reassessed whether the fee rates and
phase-in period were appropriate based
on the formula and established
operating reserve. Fees are being
adjusted accordingly.
All rates are per-hour except when a
per-unit cost is noted. The specific
amounts in each rate calculation are
available upon request from the specific
AMS program.
2018 RATES
Regular
Overtime
Holiday
Includes
travel costs
in rate
Start date
Cotton Fees
7 CFR Part 27—Cotton Classification Under Cotton Futures Legislation
Subpart A—Regulations; §§ 27.80–27.90 Costs of Classifications and Micronaire
Cotton Standardization
Certification for Futures Contract (Grading services for
samples submitted by CCC-licensed samplers).
$4.25/bale
X
August 1, 2018.
Transfer of Certification Data to New Owner or Certified
Warehouse (Electronic transfer performed).
$0.20/bale or $5.00 per page minimum
X
August 1, 2018.
7 CFR Part 28—Cotton Classing, Testing, and Standards
Subpart A—Regulations Under the United States Cotton Standards Act; §§ 28.115–28.126 Fees and Costs
Subpart D—Cotton Classification and Market News Service for Producers; § 28.909 Costs; § 28.910 Classification of Samples and
Issuance of Classification Data; § 28.911 Review Classification
Cotton Grading
$2.30/bale
X
July 1, 2018.
Form 1 Review (new sample submitted by licensed sampler).
$2.30/bale
X
July 1, 2018.
Form A Determinations (sample submitted by licensed
warehouse).
$2.30/bale
X
July 1, 2018.
Form C Determinations (sample submitted by non-licensed entity; bale sampled under USDA supervision).
$2.30/bale
........................
July 1, 2018.
Form D Determination (sample submitted by owner or
agent; classification represents sample only).
$2.30/bale
X
July 1, 2018.
Foreign Growth Classification (sample of foreign growth
cotton submitted by owner or agent; classification represents sample only).
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Form 1: Grading Services for Producers (submitted by licensed sampler).
$6.00/sample
X
August 1, 2018.
Arbitration (comparison of a sample to the official standards or a sample type).
$6.00/sample
X
August 1, 2018.
Practical Cotton Classing Exam (for non-USDA employees).
Exam: $150/applicant
Reexamination: $130/applicant
X
July 1, 2018.
Special Sample Handling (return of samples per request).
$0.50/sample
X
July 1, 2018.
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 93 / Monday, May 14, 2018 / Notices
2018 RATES—Continued
Regular
Overtime
Includes
travel costs
in rate
Holiday
Start date
Electronic Copy of Classification Record .........................
$0.05/bale ($5.00/month minimum with any
records received)
X
July 1, 2018.
Form A Rewrite (reissuance of Form 1, Form A, or Futures Certification data or combination).
$0.15/bale or $5.00/page minimum
X
August 1, 2018.
Form R (reissuance of Form 1 classification only) ...........
$0.15/bale or $5.00/page minimum
X
July 1, 2018.
International Instrument Level Assessment ......................
$4.00/sample
X
July 1, 2018.
Dairy Fees
7 CFR Part 58—Grading and Inspection, General Specifications for Approved Plants and Standards for Grades of Dairy Products
Subpart A—Regulations Governing the Inspection and Grading Services of Manufactured or Processed Dairy Products; §§ 58.38–58.46
Fees and Charges
Continuous Resident Grading Service .............................
$76.00
$90.92
$107.24
X
Oct 1, 2018.
Non-resident and Intermittent Grading Service; State
Graders; Equipment Review.
82.00
96.76
116.64
X
Oct 1, 2018.
Non-resident Services 6 p.m.–6 a.m. (10 percent night
differential).
90.20
106.44
128.32
X
Oct 1, 2018.
Export Certificate Services ...............................................
82.00
N/A
N/A
........................
Oct 1, 2018.
Special Handling ...............................................................
41.00
N/A
N/A
........................
Oct 1, 2018.
Fax Charge .......................................................................
4.00
N/A
N/A
........................
Oct 1, 2018.
Derogation Application ......................................................
123.00
N/A
N/A
........................
Oct 1, 2018.
Specialty Crops Fees
7 CFR Part 51—Fresh Fruits, Vegetables and Other Products (Inspection, Certification, and Standards
Subpart A—Regulations; §§ 51.37–51.44 Schedule of Fees and Charges at Destination Markets; § 51.45
at Shipping Point Areas
Schedule of Fees and Charges
Quality and Condition Inspections for Whole Lots ...........
$191.00 per lot
........................
Oct 1, 2018.
Quality and Condition Half Lot or Condition-Only Inspections for Whole Lots.
$159.00 per lot
........................
Oct 1, 2018.
Condition—Half Lot ...........................................................
$146.00 per lot
........................
Oct 1, 2018.
Quality and Condition or Condition-Only Inspections for
Additional Lots of the Same Product.
$87.00 per lot
........................
Oct 1, 2018.
Dockside Inspections—Each package weighing < 30 lbs.
$0.044 per pkg.
........................
Oct 1, 2018.
Dockside Inspections—Each package weighing > 30 lbs.
$0.068 per pkg.
........................
Oct 1, 2018.
Charge per Individual Product for Dockside Inspection ...
$174.00 per lot
........................
Oct 1, 2018.
Charge per Each Additional Lot of the Same Product .....
$79.00 per lot
........................
Oct 1, 2018.
........................
Oct 1, 2018.
Inspections for All Hourly Work ........................................
$85.00
$112.00
$148.00
$108.00
........................
Oct 1, 2018.
Audit Services—State .......................................................
$108.00
........................
Oct 1, 2018.
GFSI Certification Fee ......................................................
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Audit Services—Federal ...................................................
$250 per audit
........................
Oct 1, 20
7 CFR Part 52—Processed Fruits and Vegetables, Processed Products Thereof, and Other Processed Food Products
Subpart—Regulations Governing Inspection and Certification; §§ 52.41–52.51 Fees and Charges
Lot Inspections ..................................................................
$75.00
$95.00
$116.00
X
Oct 1, 2018.
In-plant Inspections Under Annual Contract (year-round)
72.00
92.00
112.00
X
Oct 1, 2018.
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 93 / Monday, May 14, 2018 / Notices
2018 RATES—Continued
Regular
Additional Graders (in-plant) or Less Than Year-Round ..
Overtime
83.00
106.00
Includes
travel costs
in rate
Holiday
128.00
Start date
X
Oct 1, 2018.
Audit Services—Federal ...................................................
$108.00
........................
Oct 1, 2018.
Audit Services—State .......................................................
$108.00
........................
Oct 1, 2018.
GFSI Certification Fee ......................................................
$250 per audit
........................
Oct 1, 2018.
Meat and Livestock Fees
7 CFR Part 54—Meats, Prepared Meats, and Meat Products (Grading, Certification, and Standards)
Subpart A—Regulations; §§ 54.27–54.28 Charges for Service
Commitment Grading ........................................................
$74.00
$91.00
$109.00
X
Oct 1, 2018.
Non-commitment Grading .................................................
99.00
115.00
134.00
........................
Oct 1, 2018.
Night Differential (6 p.m.–6 a.m.) .....................................
81.00
100.00
120.00
X
Oct 1, 2018.
........................
Oct 1, 2018.
Oct
Oct
Oct
Oct
Oct
Oct
Oct 1, 2018.
Jan 1, 2019.
7 CFR Part 62—Livestock, Meat and Other Agricultural Commodities (Quality Systems Verification Programs)
Subpart A—Quality Systems Verification Definitions; § 62.300 Fees and Other Costs for Service
Auditing Activities ..............................................................
$108.00
Poultry Fees
7 CFR Part 56—Voluntary Grading of Shell Eggs
Subpart A—Grading of Shell Eggs; §§ 56.45–56.54 Fees and Charges
7 CFR Part 70—Voluntary Grading of Poultry and Rabbit Products
Subpart A—Grading of Poultry and Rabbit Products; §§ 70.70–70.78 Fees and Charges
Resident Service (in-plant) ...............................................
Resident, Night Differential (6 p.m.–6 a.m.) .....................
Resident, Sunday Differential ...........................................
Resident, Sunday and Night Differential ..........................
Fee Service (non-scheduled) ............................................
Audit Service .....................................................................
1 $52.00
1 $69.00
1 $85.00
1 55.00
1 77.00
1 95.00
N/A
N/A
134.00
........................
X
X
X
X
........................
........................
$120.00
236.00
........................
X
1 64.00
1 86.00
1 71.00
1 96.00
90.00
$108.00
111.00
........................
1,
1,
1,
1,
1,
1,
2018.
2018.
2018.
2018.
2018.
2018.
Science and Technology Fees
7 CFR Part 91—Services and General Information (Science and Technology)
Subpart I—Fees and Charges; §§ 91.37–91.45
Laboratory Testing Services .............................................
Laboratory Approval Services 3 ........................................
$88.00
188.00
$104.00
212.00
7 CFR Part 75—Regulations for Inspection and Certification of Quality of Agricultural and Vegetable Seeds
§ 75.41 General
Laboratory Testing ............................................................
$58.00
$86.00
$115.00
Administrative Fee ............................................................
$14.50 per
certificate
........................
........................
X
Oct 1, 2018.
........................
Oct 1, 2018.
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Tobacco Fees
7 CFR Part 29—Tobacco Inspection
Subpart A—Policy Statement and Regulations Governing the Extension of Tobacco Inspection and Price Support Services to New Markets
and to Additional Sales on Designated Markets;
Subpart B—Regulations; §§ 29.123–29.129 Fees and Charges; § 29.500 Fees and charges for inspection and acceptance of imported
tobacco
Subpart F—Policy Statement and Regulations Governing the Identification and Certification of Non-quota Tobacco Produced and Marketed
in Quota Area; § 29.9251 Fees and Charges
Domestic Permissive Inspection and Certification (regrading of domestic tobacco for processing plants, retesting of imported tobacco, and grading tobacco for
research stations).
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22243
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 93 / Monday, May 14, 2018 / Notices
2018 RATES—Continued
Regular
Overtime
Includes
travel costs
in rate
Holiday
Start date
Export Permissive Inspection and Certification (grading
of domestic tobacco for manufacturers and dealers for
duty drawback consideration).
$0.0025/pound
X
July 1, 2018.
Grading for Risk Management Agency (for Tobacco
Crop Insurance Quality Adjustment determinations).
$0.015/pound
X
July 1, 2018.
Pesticide Test Sampling (collection of certified tobacco
sample and shipment to AMS National Science Laboratory for testing).
$0.0065/kg or $0.0029/pound
X
July 1, 2018.
Pesticide Retest Sampling (collection of certified tobacco
sample from a previously sampled lot for re-testing at
the AMS National Science Laboratory; fee includes
shipping).
$115.00/sample and $55.00/hour
X
July 1, 2018.
Standards Course (training by USDA-certified instructor
on tobacco grading procedures).
$1,250.00/person
........................
July 1, 2018.
Import Inspection and Certification (grading of imported
tobacco for manufacturers and dealers).
$0.0170/kg or $0.0080/pound
X
July 1, 2018.
1 Administrative charges are applied in addition to hourly rates for resident service as specified in Part 56, Subpart A, § 56.52(a)(4); Part 56,
Subpart A, § 56.54(a)(2); Part 70, Subpart A, § 70.76(a)(2); Part 70, Subpart A, § 70.77(a)(4) and Part 70, Subpart A, § 70.77(a)(5).
3 Travel costs outside the United States will be added to the fee, if applicable.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 15b; 7 U.S.C. 473a–b;
7 U.S.C. 55 and 61; 7 U.S.C. 51–65; 7 U.S.C.
471–476; 7 U.S.C. 511, 511s; and 7 U.S.C.
1621–1627.
Dated: May 8, 2018.
Bruce Summers,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2018–10132 Filed 5–11–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–02–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Research Service
Notice of Intent to Renew Information
Collection, Correction
AGENCY:
Agricultural Research Service,
USDA.
ACTION:
Notice and request for comment.
The U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) seeks comments on
the intent of the USNA to renew an
information collection that expires
August 31, 2018. The information
collection serves as a means to collect
for certain use of the facilities, grounds,
programs and services. This includes
fees for educational programs and
workshops and for use of the grounds
and facilities, as well as for commercial
photography and cinematography. Fees
generated will be used to defray USNA
expenses or to promote the missions of
the USNA.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be
received by June 1, 2018 to be assured
of consideration.
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You may submit comments
by any of the following methods:
• Email: richard.olsen@ars.usda.gov.
• Fax: 202–245–4514.
• Mail: Director, U.S. National
Arboretum, Northeast Area, Agricultural
Research Service, 3501 New York
Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20002.
• Hand Delivery/Courier: Director,
U.S. National Arboretum, Northeast
Area, Agricultural Research Service,
3501 New York Avenue NE,
Washington, DC 20002.
ADDRESSES:
Correction
In the Federal Register of April 2,
2018, FR Doc. No. 63, page 13943, on
page three, paras 5, 6, and 7 of the
Supplement Information should read as
follows:
Estimate of Burden: 151 hours.
Estimated Number of Responses: The
USNA estimates 250 requests for the use
of the facilities, 52 for photography and
cinematography, and 1,800 educational
programs and workshops registrations
on an annual basis.
Estimate of Total Annual Burden on
Respondents: The total cost for
responding is $5,422.41, for 151 hours
of time at $35.91 per hour.
Dated: April 24, 2018.
Simon Y. Liu,
Associate Administrator, ARS.
[FR Doc. 2018–10196 Filed 5–11–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Submission for OMB Review;
Comment Request
May 9, 2018.
The Department of Agriculture will
submit the following information
collection requirement(s) to OMB for
review and clearance under the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,
Public Law 104–13 on or after the date
of publication of this notice. Comments
are requested regarding: (1) Whether the
collection of information is necessary
for the proper performance of the
functions of the agency, including
whether the information will have
practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of burden including
the validity of the methodology and
assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance
the quality, utility and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (4)
ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on those who
are to respond, including through the
use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other
technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology
should be addressed to: Desk Officer for
Agriculture, Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs, Office of
Management and Budget (OMB), New
Executive Office Building, Washington,
DC; New Executive Office Building, 725
17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20503.
Commenters are encouraged to submit
their comments to OMB via email to:
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[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 93 (Monday, May 14, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22239-22243]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-10132]
========================================================================
Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
========================================================================
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 93 / Monday, May 14, 2018 / Notices
[[Page 22239]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[Document No. AMS-LPS-18-0020]
2018 Rates Charged for AMS Services
AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is announcing the
2018 rates it will charge for voluntary grading, inspection,
certification, auditing, and laboratory services for a variety of
agricultural commodities including meat and poultry, fruits and
vegetables, eggs, dairy products, and cotton and tobacco. The 2018
regular, overtime, holiday, and laboratory services rates will be
applied at the beginning of the crop year, fiscal year or as required
by law depending on the commodity. Other starting dates are added to
this notice based on cotton industry practices. This action establishes
the rates for user-funded programs based on costs incurred by AMS. This
year the majority of AMS user fee rates will remain unchanged, with the
exception of increases for meat, poultry and egg grading and the hourly
rate for AMS's Laboratory Approval Service.
DATES: May 15, 2018.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charles Parrott, AMS, U.S. Department
of Agriculture, Room 3070-S, 1400 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC
20250; telephone (202) 260-9144, fax (202) 692-0313, email
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, as
amended, (AMA) (7 U.S.C. 1621-1627), provides for the collection of
fees to cover costs of various inspection, grading, certification or
auditing services covering many agricultural commodities and products.
The AMA also provides for the recovery of costs incurred in providing
laboratory services. The Cotton Statistics and Estimates Act (7 U.S.C.
471-476) and the U.S. Cotton Standards Act (7 U.S.C. 51-65) provide for
classification of cotton and development of cotton standards materials
necessary for cotton classification. The Cotton Futures Act (7 U.S.C.
15b) provides for futures certification services and the Tobacco
Inspection Act (7 U.S.C. 511-511s) provides for tobacco inspection and
grading. These Acts also provide for the recovery of costs associated
with these services.
On November 13, 2014, the Department of Agriculture (Department)
published in the Federal Register a final rule that established
standardized formulas for calculating the fees charged by AMS user-
funded programs (79 FR 67313). Every year since then, the Department
has published in the Federal Register a notice announcing the rates for
its user-funded programs.
This notice announces the 2018 fee rates for voluntary grading,
inspection, certification, auditing, and laboratory services for a
variety of agricultural commodities including meat and poultry, fruits
and vegetables, eggs, dairy products, and cotton and tobacco on a per-
hour rate and, in some instances, the equivalent per-unit cost. The
per-unit cost is provided to facilitate understanding of the costs
associated with the service to the industries that historically used
unit-cost basis for payment. The fee rates will be effective at the
beginning of the fiscal year, crop year, or as required by specific
laws. The cotton futures-related services effective date has been
changed to August 1 to allow for cotton contracts to expire before
starting a new fee rate.
The rates reflect direct and indirect costs of providing services.
Direct costs include the cost of salaries, employee benefits, and, if
applicable, travel and some operating costs. Indirect or overhead costs
include the cost of Program and Agency activities supporting the
services provided to the industry. The formula used to calculate these
rates also includes operating reserve, which may add to or draw upon
the existing operating reserves.
These services include the grading, inspection or certification of
quality factors in accordance with established U.S. Grade Standards or
other specifications; audits or accreditation according to
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards and/or
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles; and
other marketing claims. The quality grades serve as a basis for market
prices and reflect the value of agricultural commodities to both
producers and consumers. AMS' grading and certification, audit and
accreditation, plant process and equipment verification, and laboratory
approval services are voluntary tools paid for by the users on a fee-
for-service basis. The agriculture industry can use these tools to
promote and communicate the quality of agricultural commodities to
consumers. Laboratory services are provided for analytic testing,
including but not limited to chemical, microbiological, biomolecular,
and physical analyses. AMS is required by statute to recover the costs
associated with these services.
In recent years, many buyers have begun to specifically require
that their producers be certified to a Global Food Safety Initiative
(GFSI) benchmarked scheme. At the request of industry, AMS is starting
a new voluntary program that provides GFSI's recognition of the USDA
GAP audit verification program. This voluntary program will allow
producers to use AMS' trusted and proven services to gain wider market
access. Accordingly, AMS is including its voluntary GFSI service audit
fee in this notice. The fee includes the fixed cost to maintain GFSI
recognition.
As required by the Cotton Statistics and Estimates Act (7 U.S.C.
471-476), consultations regarding the establishment of the fee for
cotton classification with U.S. cotton industry representatives are
held in the beginning of the year when most industry stakeholder
meetings take place. Representatives of all segments of the cotton
industry, including producers, ginners, bale storage facility
operators, merchants, cooperatives, and textile manufacturers were
informed of the fees during various industry-sponsored forums.
Rates Calculations
AMS calculated the rate for services, per hour per program
employee, using the following formulas (a per-unit base is included for
programs that charge for services on a per-unit basis):
[[Page 22240]]
(1) Regular rate. The total AMS grading, inspection, certification,
classification, audit, or laboratory service program personnel direct
pay divided by direct hours for the previous year, which is then
multiplied by the next year's percentage of cost of living increase,
plus the benefits rate, plus the operating rate, plus the allowance for
bad debt rate. If applicable, travel expenses may also be added to the
cost of providing the service.
(2) Overtime rate. The total AMS grading, inspection,
certification, classification, audit, or laboratory service program
personnel direct pay divided by direct hours, which is then multiplied
by the next year's percentage of cost of living increase and then
multiplied by 1.5, plus the benefits rate, plus the operating rate,
plus an allowance for bad debt. If applicable, travel expenses may also
be added to the cost of providing the service.
(3) Holiday rate. The total AMS grading, inspection, certification,
classification, audit, or laboratory service program personnel direct
pay divided by direct hours, which is then multiplied by the next
year's percentage of cost of living increase and then multiplied by 2,
plus the benefits rate, plus the operating rate, plus an allowance for
bad debt. If applicable, travel expenses may also be added to the cost
of providing the service.
AMS adjusts the rates to cover all of its expenses and to provide
for reasonable operating reserves. To avoid an undue burden on industry
operations in these cases, AMS started to phase in some of the
increases over a multi-year period. AMS continued this process and
reassessed whether the fee rates and phase-in period were appropriate
based on the formula and established operating reserve. Fees are being
adjusted accordingly.
All rates are per-hour except when a per-unit cost is noted. The
specific amounts in each rate calculation are available upon request
from the specific AMS program.
2018 Rates
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Includes
Regular Overtime Holiday travel costs Start date
in rate
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Cotton Fees
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7 CFR Part 27--Cotton Classification Under Cotton Futures Legislation
Subpart A--Regulations; Sec. Sec. 27.80-27.90 Costs of Classifications and Micronaire
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Cotton Standardization
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Certification for Futures Contract (Grading $4.25/bale X August 1, 2018.
services for samples submitted by CCC-licensed
samplers).
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Transfer of Certification Data to New Owner or $0.20/bale or $5.00 per page minimum X August 1, 2018.
Certified Warehouse (Electronic transfer
performed).
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7 CFR Part 28--Cotton Classing, Testing, and Standards
Subpart A--Regulations Under the United States Cotton Standards Act; Sec. Sec. 28.115-28.126 Fees and Costs......................................
Subpart D--Cotton Classification and Market News Service for Producers; Sec. 28.909 Costs; Sec. 28.910 Classification of Samples and Issuance of
Classification Data; Sec. 28.911 Review Classification.
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Cotton Grading
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Form 1: Grading Services for Producers $2.30/bale X July 1, 2018.
(submitted by licensed sampler).
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Form 1 Review (new sample submitted by licensed $2.30/bale X July 1, 2018.
sampler).
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Form A Determinations (sample submitted by $2.30/bale X July 1, 2018.
licensed warehouse).
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Form C Determinations (sample submitted by non- $2.30/bale ............... July 1, 2018.
licensed entity; bale sampled under USDA
supervision).
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Form D Determination (sample submitted by owner $2.30/bale X July 1, 2018.
or agent; classification represents sample
only).
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Foreign Growth Classification (sample of $6.00/sample X August 1, 2018.
foreign growth cotton submitted by owner or
agent; classification represents sample only).
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Arbitration (comparison of a sample to the $6.00/sample X August 1, 2018.
official standards or a sample type).
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Practical Cotton Classing Exam (for non-USDA Exam: $150/applicant X July 1, 2018.
employees). Reexamination: $130/applicant
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Special Sample Handling (return of samples per $0.50/sample X July 1, 2018.
request).
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[[Page 22241]]
Electronic Copy of Classification Record....... $0.05/bale ($5.00/month minimum with any X July 1, 2018.
records received)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Form A Rewrite (reissuance of Form 1, Form A, $0.15/bale or $5.00/page minimum X August 1, 2018.
or Futures Certification data or combination).
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Form R (reissuance of Form 1 classification $0.15/bale or $5.00/page minimum X July 1, 2018.
only).
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International Instrument Level Assessment...... $4.00/sample X July 1, 2018.
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Dairy Fees
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7 CFR Part 58--Grading and Inspection, General Specifications for Approved Plants and Standards for Grades of Dairy Products
Subpart A--Regulations Governing the Inspection and Grading Services of Manufactured or Processed Dairy Products; Sec. Sec. 58.38-58.46 Fees and
Charges.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Continuous Resident Grading Service............ $76.00 $90.92 $107.24 X Oct 1, 2018.
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Non-resident and Intermittent Grading Service; 82.00 96.76 116.64 X Oct 1, 2018.
State Graders; Equipment Review.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Non-resident Services 6 p.m.-6 a.m. (10 percent 90.20 106.44 128.32 X Oct 1, 2018.
night differential).
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Export Certificate Services.................... 82.00 N/A N/A ............... Oct 1, 2018.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Special Handling............................... 41.00 N/A N/A ............... Oct 1, 2018.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fax Charge..................................... 4.00 N/A N/A ............... Oct 1, 2018.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Derogation Application......................... 123.00 N/A N/A ............... Oct 1, 2018.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Specialty Crops Fees
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7 CFR Part 51--Fresh Fruits, Vegetables and Other Products (Inspection, Certification, and Standards
Subpart A--Regulations; Sec. Sec. 51.37-51.44 Schedule of Fees and Charges at Destination Markets; Sec. 51.45 Schedule of Fees and Charges at
Shipping Point Areas.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quality and Condition Inspections for Whole $191.00 per lot ............... Oct 1, 2018.
Lots.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quality and Condition Half Lot or Condition- $159.00 per lot ............... Oct 1, 2018.
Only Inspections for Whole Lots.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Condition--Half Lot............................ $146.00 per lot ............... Oct 1, 2018.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quality and Condition or Condition-Only $87.00 per lot ............... Oct 1, 2018.
Inspections for Additional Lots of the Same
Product.
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Dockside Inspections--Each package weighing < $0.044 per pkg. ............... Oct 1, 2018.
30 lbs..
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dockside Inspections--Each package weighing > $0.068 per pkg. ............... Oct 1, 2018.
30 lbs..
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Charge per Individual Product for Dockside $174.00 per lot ............... Oct 1, 2018.
Inspection.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Charge per Each Additional Lot of the Same $79.00 per lot ............... Oct 1, 2018.
Product.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inspections for All Hourly Work................ $85.00 $112.00 $148.00 ............... Oct 1, 2018.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Audit Services--Federal........................ $108.00 ............... Oct 1, 2018.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Audit Services--State.......................... $108.00 ............... Oct 1, 2018.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GFSI Certification Fee......................... $250 per audit ............... Oct 1, 20
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7 CFR Part 52--Processed Fruits and Vegetables, Processed Products Thereof, and Other Processed Food Products
Subpart--Regulations Governing Inspection and Certification; Sec. Sec. 52.41-52.51 Fees and Charges..............................................
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lot Inspections................................ $75.00 $95.00 $116.00 X Oct 1, 2018.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In-plant Inspections Under Annual Contract 72.00 92.00 112.00 X Oct 1, 2018.
(year-round).
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[[Page 22242]]
Additional Graders (in-plant) or Less Than Year- 83.00 106.00 128.00 X Oct 1, 2018.
Round.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Audit Services--Federal........................ $108.00 ............... Oct 1, 2018.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Audit Services--State.......................... $108.00 ............... Oct 1, 2018.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GFSI Certification Fee......................... $250 per audit ............... Oct 1, 2018.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Meat and Livestock Fees
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7 CFR Part 54--Meats, Prepared Meats, and Meat Products (Grading, Certification, and Standards)
Subpart A--Regulations; Sec. Sec. 54.27-54.28 Charges for Service................................................................................
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commitment Grading............................. $74.00 $91.00 $109.00 X Oct 1, 2018.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Non-commitment Grading......................... 99.00 115.00 134.00 ............... Oct 1, 2018.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Differential (6 p.m.-6 a.m.)............. 81.00 100.00 120.00 X Oct 1, 2018.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7 CFR Part 62--Livestock, Meat and Other Agricultural Commodities (Quality Systems Verification Programs)
Subpart A--Quality Systems Verification Definitions; Sec. 62.300 Fees and Other Costs for Service.................................................
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Auditing Activities............................ $108.00 ............... Oct 1, 2018.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Poultry Fees
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7 CFR Part 56--Voluntary Grading of Shell Eggs
Subpart A--Grading of Shell Eggs; Sec. Sec. 56.45-56.54 Fees and Charges.........................................................................
7 CFR Part 70--Voluntary Grading of Poultry and Rabbit Products
Subpart A--Grading of Poultry and Rabbit Products; Sec. Sec. 70.70-70.78 Fees and Charges........................................................
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Resident Service (in-plant).................... \1\ $52.00 \1\ $69.00 \1\ $85.00 X Oct 1, 2018.
Resident, Night Differential (6 p.m.-6 a.m.)... \1\ 55.00 \1\ 77.00 \1\ 95.00 X Oct 1, 2018.
Resident, Sunday Differential.................. \1\ 64.00 \1\ 86.00 N/A X Oct 1, 2018.
Resident, Sunday and Night Differential........ \1\ 71.00 \1\ 96.00 N/A X Oct 1, 2018.
Fee Service (non-scheduled).................... 90.00 111.00 134.00 ............... Oct 1, 2018.
Audit Service.................................. $108.00 .............. .............. ............... Oct 1, 2018.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Science and Technology Fees
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7 CFR Part 91--Services and General Information (Science and Technology)
Subpart I--Fees and Charges; Sec. Sec. 91.37-91.45...............................................................................................
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Laboratory Testing Services.................... $88.00 $104.00 $120.00 ............... Oct 1, 2018.
Laboratory Approval Services \3\............... 188.00 212.00 236.00 X Jan 1, 2019.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7 CFR Part 75--Regulations for Inspection and Certification of Quality of Agricultural and Vegetable Seeds
Sec. 75.41 General................................................................................................................................
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Laboratory Testing............................. $58.00 $86.00 $115.00 X Oct 1, 2018.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Administrative Fee............................. $14.50 per .............. .............. ............... Oct 1, 2018.
certificate
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tobacco Fees
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7 CFR Part 29--Tobacco Inspection
Subpart A--Policy Statement and Regulations Governing the Extension of Tobacco Inspection and Price Support Services to New Markets and to
Additional Sales on Designated Markets;.
Subpart B--Regulations; Sec. Sec. 29.123-29.129 Fees and Charges; Sec. 29.500 Fees and charges for inspection and acceptance of imported
tobacco.
Subpart F--Policy Statement and Regulations Governing the Identification and Certification of Non-quota Tobacco Produced and Marketed in Quota Area;
Sec. 29.9251 Fees and Charges.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Domestic Permissive Inspection and $55.00 $64.00 $72.00 ............... July 1, 2018.
Certification (re-grading of domestic tobacco
for processing plants, retesting of imported
tobacco, and grading tobacco for research
stations).
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[[Page 22243]]
Export Permissive Inspection and Certification $0.0025/pound X July 1, 2018.
(grading of domestic tobacco for manufacturers
and dealers for duty drawback consideration).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grading for Risk Management Agency (for Tobacco $0.015/pound X July 1, 2018.
Crop Insurance Quality Adjustment
determinations).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pesticide Test Sampling (collection of $0.0065/kg or $0.0029/pound X July 1, 2018.
certified tobacco sample and shipment to AMS
National Science Laboratory for testing).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pesticide Retest Sampling (collection of $115.00/sample and $55.00/hour X July 1, 2018.
certified tobacco sample from a previously
sampled lot for re-testing at the AMS National
Science Laboratory; fee includes shipping).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Standards Course (training by USDA-certified $1,250.00/person ............... July 1, 2018.
instructor on tobacco grading procedures).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Import Inspection and Certification (grading of $0.0170/kg or $0.0080/pound X July 1, 2018.
imported tobacco for manufacturers and
dealers).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Administrative charges are applied in addition to hourly rates for resident service as specified in Part 56, Subpart A, Sec. 56.52(a)(4); Part 56,
Subpart A, Sec. 56.54(a)(2); Part 70, Subpart A, Sec. 70.76(a)(2); Part 70, Subpart A, Sec. 70.77(a)(4) and Part 70, Subpart A, Sec.
70.77(a)(5).
\3\ Travel costs outside the United States will be added to the fee, if applicable.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 15b; 7 U.S.C. 473a-b; 7 U.S.C. 55 and 61; 7
U.S.C. 51-65; 7 U.S.C. 471-476; 7 U.S.C. 511, 511s; and 7 U.S.C.
1621-1627.
Dated: May 8, 2018.
Bruce Summers,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2018-10132 Filed 5-11-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P
