Proposal Would Exempt Imported Organic Products from Marketing Fees

The Agricultural Marketing Service is accepting comments through 15 January on a proposal to modify the organic assessment exemption regulations under 23 federal marketing orders and 22 research and promotion programmes to allow persons who produce, handle, market or import certified organic products to be exempt from paying assessments associated with commodity promotion activities conducted under a commodity promotion programme administered by AMS. Consistent with the provisions of the 2014 Farm Bill, the exemption would cover all "organic" and "100 percent organic" products certified under the National Organic Program regardless of whether the person requesting the exemption also produces, handles, markets or imports conventional or non-organic products. Currently, only persons that exclusively produce and market products certified as 100 percent organic are eligible for an exemption from assessments under commodity promotion programmes.

If this amendment is approved in its current form, imports of certified organic products that are currently subject to an import fee associated with a marketing order or research/promotion programme would no longer be subject to such a fee. Importers would be required to continue to pay such assessments for any imports not covered by the exemption.