USDA Proposes To Amend The Beef Promotion And Research Order; Invites Public Comments

Aug 23, 2016

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) issued a proposed rule to amend the Beef Promotion and Research Order under the Beef Promotion and Research Act of 1985.

The amendments would add six Harmonized Tariff Codes (HTS) for imported veal and veal products, and update assessment levels for imported veal and veal products based on revised determinations of live animal equivalencies.

On March 16, 2016, AMS published a proposed rule in the Federal Register to amend the Order by adding six HTS codes for imported veal and veal products. On May 6, 2016, AMS withdrew the proposed rule because an error was discovered in the imported veal carcass weight. AMS also announced that it intended to publish another proposed rule with the correct carcass weight, and include the formula and an explanation of how the calculations for the new assessment rates are calculated.

The HTS codes and categories are used by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to assist AMS in the collection of assessments on imported cattle, beef, and beef products, including veal.

To calculate the new live animal equivalency for imported veal products, AMS proposes to use the average dressed veal weight in the United States for the past five years. An average over this period of time would take in account short term highs and lows yet still be current. The proposed average veal carcass weight is 154 pounds.

Source:usda.gov

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