USDA AMS Hikes Some Inspection Fees for 2026 Crops
Published Date: 4/30/2026
Notice
Summary
Starting May 1, 2026, the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service is updating the fees it charges for grading, inspecting, and testing agricultural products like meat, fruits, and cotton. Some fees are going up to cover rising costs, while others stay the same. Warehouse service fees for fiscal year 2027 won’t change, so businesses should plan for these updates as the new crop and fiscal years begin.
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Analyzed Economic Effects
6 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 5 costs, 0 mixed.
Certain AMS User Fees Increase
Starting May 1, 2026, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will increase certain user fees for voluntary grading, inspection, certification, auditing, and laboratory services when current rates do not cover the cost of providing the service. These increases are cost-based and will be applied at the beginning of the crop year, fiscal year, or other statutory start dates as listed in the notice.
Warehouse Fees Remain Unchanged for FY2027
AMS announced that fees charged under the United States Warehouse Act for fiscal year 2027 (which begins October 1, 2026) will remain unchanged from last year. The notice lists specific unchanged fees effective October 1, 2026, such as cotton warehouse annual user fees (e.g., $685 to $2,747 tiered by bale capacity) and inspection fees (e.g., $100 per 1,000 bales, with $200 minimum and $2,000 maximum).
Dairy Grading Hourly Rates Updated
AMS set dairy grading and related service hourly rates effective October 1, 2026. Examples include Continuous Resident Grading at $95.00 (regular), $116.00 (overtime), and $137.00 (holiday); non-resident and intermittent grading at $120.00 (regular), $155.00 (overtime), and $190.00 (holiday).
Lab Testing and Approval Fees Announced
AMS set laboratory testing service rates effective October 1, 2026 at $128.00 (regular), $146.00 (overtime), and $164.00 (holiday); laboratory approval services are set at $188.00 (regular), $218.00 (overtime), and $249.00 (holiday) effective January 1, 2027. These fees apply to analytic testing and laboratory approval services AMS provides.
Cotton Grading and Certification Rates Set
AMS set specific cotton fees effective July 1 or August 1, 2026, including a futures certification fee of $4.75 per bale (effective August 1, 2026), grading services for producers at $3.05 per bale (effective July 1, 2026), and other per-bale and per-sample charges (for example, Form 1 review $3.15/bale effective July 1, 2026).
Tobacco Inspection and Per-Pound Fees Set
AMS established tobacco inspection and related fees effective July 1, 2026, including domestic permissive inspection at $55.00 (regular), $64.00 (overtime), $72.00 (holiday), export permissive inspection at $0.0025 per pound, and grading for crop insurance quality adjustments at $0.015 per pound.
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