USDA finalizes grain fee updates

New fee rules for cost efficiency

The USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has issued two final rules revising grain inspection and weighing fees under the U.S. Grain Standards Act (USGSA). These changes aim to streamline fee structures and ensure financial sustainability for the Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS).

Key elements of the new rules include finalizing the fee updates introduced in July 2024 and implementing revised formulas to calculate hourly and unit fees. These changes enable FGIS to recover costs fully and maintain a reserve of three to six months.

The rules address issues identified in the interim rule published in June 2024, which temporarily adjusted fees. After public consultations and a comment period, AMS finalized the updates without changes.

Highlights of the updates - 

• Establishing revised fee calculation formulas for inspections.

• Removing reserve adjustments for tonnage fees, maintaining supervision fee formulas.

• Aligning FGIS fee structures with other AMS programs for consistency.

The fee structure updates took effect on December 27, 2024, while the revised formulas will be effective from February 5, 2025. These changes resolve longstanding gaps in cost recovery, ensuring FGIS can support efficient grain inspection services. 

For more information, contact Anthony Goodeman or call (202) 720-0291.