CBP Issues Revised ICP on Mushrooms
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a revised version of its informed compliance publication entitled, What Every Member of the Trade Community Should Know About: Mushrooms.
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This ICP was prepared by the National Commodity Specialist Division of Regulations and Rulings and discusses the tariff classification and other issues related to the importation of mushrooms. The ICP was first published in October 1996 and has since been revised in March 2001, March 2004, and has now been revised in March 2008.
According to CBP sources, the following are the substantive changes made to the revised ICP:
Updated Information on Mushroom Assessment Fee
The "Mushroom Assessment Fee" section has been revised to include updated information on the fees. In October 2007, the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved an assessment rate (also termed a fee or tax) increase, effective January 1, 2008, for importers and producers of certain mushrooms under the Mushroom Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Program.
According to the ICP, the fee is $0.01102300 per kilogram for goods classified under HTS subheadings 0709.51.0100 and 0709.59.9000 and entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption effective January 1, 2008.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 11/30/07 news, 07113015, for BP summary the USDA approving the increase in the assessment rate.)
Updated Import Statistics
CBP also revised the "Import" section of the ICP to include updated import statistics. Among other things, the ICP states that mushrooms are imported from as many as fifty different countries, with the majority of the imports from Canada and China. For 2007, the value of imported mushrooms (excluding those prepared or preserved by vinegar or acetic acid, for which no specific data for mushrooms is available) totaled more than $289,637,808.
CBP's ICP on mushrooms has also been revised to make technical corrections, include additional reference materials, etc.
ICP Provided for Informational Purposes Only
CBP states that the information provided in this publication is for general information purposes only. CBP cautions that because many complicated factors can be involved in customs issues, an importer may wish to obtain a ruling under CBP Regulations, 19 CFR Part 177, or obtain advice from an expert (such as a licensed Customs Broker, attorney or consultant) who specializes in customs matters. Reliance solely on the general information in this ICP may not be considered reasonable care.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 05/28/04 news, 04052825, for BP summary of the March 2004 mushroom ICP.)
ICP on mushrooms (revised March 2008) available at http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/toolbox/legal/informed_compliance_pubs/icp007r2.ctt/icp007r2.pdf