December 29, 2014

Comments sought on proposed changes to dairy tariff scheme

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said it welcomes comments from the public on the proposed changes to the Dairy Tariff-Rate Import Quota Licensing Program.

The USDA uses import licensing as one of the tools to administer the tariff-rate quota system for US imports of dairy products. The proposed rule amends the regulation at 7 CFR Part 6.20 – 6.37 that provides for the issuance of licenses to import certain dairy articles under the tariff-rate quota as set forth in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the US.

The proposed rule will suspend the historical license reduction provision, which will expire in 2016, for another seven years. This change, according to the USDA, will also allow license holders to adjust to changing market conditions impacting the dairy sector.

"Modifications to procedures for collecting licensing fees will allow the department to align fee collection to the costs of administering the program. The proposed rule will also require all communications, like applications and payments, to be electronic to reduce lag times and increase program operation efficiency", the USDA said.

The USDA said comments on the proposed rule must be received by February 23, 2015. Comments may be e-mailed to dairy_ils@fas.usda.gov.

The proposed rule is posted on https://federalregister.gov/a/2014-29807.