AMS announced the 2018rates it will charge for voluntary grading, inspection, certification, auditing and laboratory services for a variety of agricultural commodities including meat and poultry, fruits and vegetables, eggs, dairy products, and cotton and tobacco on May 14, 2018. View the Federal Register Notice for the complete listing of fees
| Activity | Cost |
|---|---|
| Certification for Futures Contract | $4.25/bale |
Form 1: Grading Services for Producers (submitted by licensed sampler) | $2.30/bale |
| Form 1 Review (new sample submitted by licensed sampler) | $2.30/bale |
| Form A Determinations (sample submitted by licensed warehouse) | $2.30/bale |
| Form C Determinations (sample submitted by non-licensed entity; bale sampled under USDA supervision) | $2.30/bale |
| Form D Determination (sample submitted by owner or agent; classification represents sample only) | $2.30/bale |
| Foreign Growth Classification (sample of foreign growth cotton submitted by owner or agent; classification represents sample only) | $6.00/sample |
| Arbitration (comparison of a sample to the official standards or a sample type) | $6.00/sample |
| Practical Cotton Classing Exam (for non-USDA employees) | Exam: $150/applicant Reexamination: $130/applicant |
| Special Sample Handling (return of samples per request) | $0.50/sample |
| Electronic Copy of Classification Record | $0.05/bale ($5.00/month minimum with any records received) |
| Form A Rewrite (reissuance of Form 1, Form A, or Futures Certification data or combination) | $0.15/bale or $5.00/page minimum |
| Form R (reissuance of Form 1 classification only) | $0.15/bale or $5.00/page minimum |
| International Instrument Level Assessment | $4.00/sample |
Dairy
| Activity | Regular per hour | Overtime per hour | Holiday per hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-resident and Intermittent Grading/Inspection Service | $82.00 | $96.76 | $116.64 |
| Continuous Resident Grading Service | $76.00 | $90.92 | $107.24 |
| Non-resident Services 6pm-6am (10 percent night differential) | $90.20 | $106.44 | $128.32 |
| Equipment Review | $82.00 | $123.00 | $164.00 |
| Export Certificate | $82.00 | NA | NA |
| Certified Copy of Export Certificate | $41.00 | NA | NA |
| Derogation Application | $123.00 | NA | NA |
Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
| Activity | Cost |
|---|---|
| Quality and Condition Inspections for Whole Lots | $191.00/lot |
| Quality and Condition Half Lot or Condition-Only Inspections for Whole Lots. | $159.00/lot |
| Condition—Half Lot | $146.00/lot |
| Quality and Condition or Condition-Only Inspections for Additional Lots of the Same Product. | $87.00/lot |
| Dockside Inspections—Each package weighing <30 lbs | $0.044 per pkg |
| Dockside Inspections—Each package weighing >30 lbs | $0.068 per pkg |
| Charge per Individual Product for Dockside Inspection | $174.00 per lot |
| Charge per Each Additional Lot of the Same Product | $79.00 per lot |
| Activity | Regular per hour | Overtime per hour | Holiday per hour |
|---|---|---|---|
Hourly rate for inspections performed for other purposes during the grader's regularly scheduled work week | $85 | $112 | $148 |
| Audit Verification Services | $108 |
Processed Fruits and Vegetables
| Activity | Regular per hour | Overtime per hour | Holiday per hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lot Inspections | $75.00 | $95.00 | $116.00 |
| In-plant Inspections Under Annual Contract (year-round) | $72.00 | $92.00 | $112.00 |
| Additional Graders (in-plant) or Less Than Year-Round | $83.00 | $106.00 | $128.00 |
| Audit Verification Services | $108 |
Meat
| Activity | Regular per hour | Overtime per hour | Holiday per hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commitment Grading (8 hours per day between 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM, 40 hours per week) | $74.00 | $91.00 | $109.00 |
| Non-Commitment Grading (8 hours or less per day between 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM) | $99.00 | $115.00 | $134.00 |
| Night Differential | $81.00 | $100.00 | $120.00 |
| Audit Fee | $108 |
Egg & Poultry
Activity | Regular per hour | Overtime per hour | Holiday per hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resident, (in-plant) hours* | $52.00 | $69.00 | $85.00 |
| Resident, Night Differential (6pm-6am) | $55.00 | $77.00 | $95.00 |
| Resident, Sunday Differential | $64.00 | $86.00 | N/A |
| Resident, Sunday and Night Differential | $71.00 | $96.00 | N/A |
| Fee Service (non-scheduled) | $90.00 | $111.00 | $134.00 |
| Auditing Fee | $108 |
* Administrative charges are applied in addition to hourly rates for resident service as specified in Part 56, Subpart A, §56.52 (a) (4); Part 56, Subpart A, §56.54 (a) (2); Part 70, Subpart A, §70.76 (a) (2); Part 70, Subpart A, §70.77 (a) (4) and Part 70, Subpart A, §70.77 (a) (5).
Tobacco
| Activity | Regular | Overtime | Holiday |
|---|---|---|---|
Domestic Permissive Inspection and Certification | $55.00 | $64.00 | $72.00 |
| Export Permissive Inspection and Certification | $0.0025/pound | ||
| RMAGrading | $0.015/pound | ||
| Pesticide Test Sampling | $0.0065/kg or $0.0029/pound | ||
| Pesticide Retest Sampling | $115.00/sample and $55.00/hour | ||
| Standards Course | $1,250.00/person | ||
| Import Inspection and Certification | $0.0170/kg or $0.0080/pound |