Paper
The Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service has issued a final rule that, effective March 9, will terminate the federal research and promotion order for paper and paper-based packaging as well as the rules and regulations issued thereunder. This order subjected persons that imported or manufactured 100,000 short tons or more of such goods a year to assessments of 35 cents per short ton.
Honey
The AMS is accepting comments through April 8 on a proposed rule that would increase the assessment rate under the Honey Packers and Importers Research, Promotion, Consumer Education, and Industry Information Order from 1.5 cents/lb. to 2.0 cents/lb. of assessable honey and honey products. Importers and first handlers that import and/or handle more than 250,000 pounds of such goods per calendar year are subject to this assessment. The proposed assessment rate would remain in effect indefinitely until modified or terminated.
Avocados
The AMS has issued a final rule that, effective April 8, will update the avocado maturity shipping schedule to allow certain sizes and weights of the Beta avocado variety to be shipped earlier than is currently allowed.
The maturity schedule is usually divided into A, B, C, and D dates, which are associated with specific weights and sizes reflecting when a particular variety matures. Avocados may not be shipped until the earliest date specified for that variety (the A date) so that only mature fruits are available for market for each variety early in its season. The D date marks the end of a variety’s season when all fruit of that variety should be mature and releases all sizes and weights for shipment.
This rule will move up by two weeks each of the A, B, C, and D dates for the Beta variety: from Aug. 8 to July 25 (A), from Aug. 15 to Aug. 1 (B), from Aug. 29 to Aug. 15 (C), and from Sept. 5 to Aug. 22 (D). The corresponding sizes and weights associated with these dates will remain unchanged.
Christmas Trees
The AMS has issued a final rule that, effective April 8, will make a number of changes to the Christmas Tree Promotion, Research, and Information Order. These include (1) clarifying that if associated assessments are collected by U.S. Customs and Border Protection they must be paid when the trees enter the U.S., (2) clarifying that importers that import fewer than 500 trees annually shall receive a refund for assessments collected, and (3) allowing importers to request refunds of assessments paid on trees that were shipped to the U.S. but not sold.
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