AMS 2026/2027 User Fee Rates for Agricultural Grading, Inspection, Certification, and Warehouse Services
AI-generated summary for informational purposes only. Not legal advice. See the original source for the authoritative text.
This notice sets the 2026/2027 fee schedule for USDA Agricultural Marketing Service services across major farm and food sectors, including cotton, dairy, fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, eggs, rice, seeds, tobacco, laboratory testing, and warehouse licensing. Some rates go up to match higher costs; others stay the same. Businesses that use AMS voluntary grading, inspection, certification, audit, or lab services should check the new rates and effective dates, which vary by commodity and service. Warehouse operators covered by the United States Warehouse Act should note that their 2027 fees stay unchanged, but the notice confirms the amounts they will pay starting October 1, 2026.
AI-generated summary. May contain errors. Refer to official sources for legal decisions.
Key Changes
- AMS updated 2026/2027 user fees for voluntary grading, inspection, certification, auditing, and laboratory services across multiple agricultural commodities.
- Several commodity-specific rates increase to reflect higher operating costs, while other rates remain unchanged.
- United States Warehouse Act fees for warehouse operators stay unchanged for fiscal year 2027, effective October 1, 2026.
Obligations
What this law requires
Businesses using AMS voluntary grading, inspection, certification, auditing, or laboratory services must pay the applicable 2026/2027 fee rate for the specific commodity and service type set out in the notice.
Businesses using AMS voluntary grading, inspection, certification, auditing, or laboratory services must apply the 2026/2027 AMS fee schedule and effective dates that correspond to their commodity and service type, including any regular, overtime, holiday, or laboratory rates listed in the notice.
Businesses that use AMS voluntary grading, inspection, certification, auditing, or laboratory services must update their budgets, billing systems, and contract pricing to reflect the new 2026/2027 AMS fee schedule when the applicable rates take effect for their commodity.
Users of cotton classification and related AMS cotton services must use the new cotton fee schedule for services effective July 1, 2026 or August 1, 2026, depending on the service (for example, Form 1 grading services begin July 1, 2026, while futures certification and several reissuance services begin August 1, 2026).
Cotton industry participants must use the new cotton classification and related service fees beginning on the stated cotton effective dates, including the August 1, 2026 start date for futures certification and several related classification services, and the July 1, 2026 start date for producer grading services and related record/rewrite fees.