USDA INCREASES COTTON IMPORT FEES
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said it will increase the fee which Customs collects on imported cotton and cotton-containing products by 1.34 percent, starting Dec. 20.
The USDA said the increased fee, which helps to fund the Cotton Research and Promotion Program, reflects the higher price U.S. farmers received for upland cotton last year. In 2000, about 10,000 importers paid about $20 million into the program.
The cotton fee coincides with about 700 Harmonized Tariff Schedule numbers. The USDA reviews the fee level annually. It was last adjusted on May 31, 2000.