# 2026-12563: USDA Tweaks Cotton Import Assessment Rates

2026-12563, Cotton Board Rules and Regulations: Adjusting Supplemental Assessment on Imports (2025 Amendments), is a Federal Register proposed rule from Agriculture Department, Agricultural Marketing Service published 2026-06-23, effective Comments must be received by July 23, 2026.; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-06-30).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12563
- As of: 2026-06-30
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2026-12563
- Title: Cotton Board Rules and Regulations: Adjusting Supplemental Assessment on Imports (2025 Amendments)
- Type: Proposed Rule
- Agencies: Agriculture Department; Agricultural Marketing Service
- Citation: 91 FR 37349
- Published: 2026-06-23
- Effective: Comments must be received by July 23, 2026.
- Comments close: 2026-07-23
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: yes
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-06-30

## In one line

USDA Tweaks Cotton Import Assessment Rates

## Summary

The USDA is proposing to lower the value used to calculate extra fees on imported cotton, so importers pay the same as U.S. cotton growers. This update keeps the fees fair and reflects changes since 2024. Importers and businesses dealing with cotton products should weigh in by July 23, 2026, before the new rules take effect.

## Abstract

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is proposing to amend the Cotton Board Rules and Regulations to decrease the value assigned to imported cotton for the purposes of calculating supplemental assessments collected for use by the Cotton Research and Promotion Program. This amendment is required each year to ensure that assessments collected on imported cotton, and the cotton content of imported products, will be the same as those paid on domestically produced cotton. In addition, AMS is updating the Import Assessment Table to account for changes since the last assessment adjustment in 2024.

## Effects PRIA read

- Imported cotton fee drops to 1.1662¢/kg: benefit, low. The proposed rule lowers the total assessment on imported cotton from 1.3247 cents per kilogram to 1.1662 cents per kilogram (a decrease of 0.1585 cents/kg). The rule shows the math used: NASS 2024 marketing-year Upland price $0.632 per pound → $1.4506 per kg; supplemental assessment 0.5% = $0.0072…
- Estimated $5.7M drop in industry assessments: mixed, high. The Cotton Board estimates that if import volumes remain at 2025 levels, the proposed lower assessment would reduce total importer assessments by about $5,693,178. The rule also notes producer assessments totaled $35.4 million and importer assessments totaled $47.6 million (December 31, 2024 audito…
- Import Assessment Table revised by HTS code: benefit, low. AMS proposes to amend the Import Assessment Table in Sec. 1205.510(b)(3) to revise the cents-per-kilogram assessment for each Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) number subject to assessment. The published table lists specific HTS codes and their updated conversion factors and cents/kg rates (for exam…
- Organic imports may be exempt or reimbursable: benefit, low. Imported organic cotton and cotton products may be exempt from the assessment if eligible under Sec. 1205.519. Any importer can request reimbursement for assessments collected on non-Upland cotton or on cotton produced in the United States by following Sec. 1205.520 procedures.

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## Sources
- [2026-12563 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/23/2026-12563/cotton-board-rules-and-regulations-adjusting-supplemental-assessment-on-imports-2025-amendments)
- [2026-12563 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-06-23/pdf/2026-12563.pdf)

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- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12563 (as of 2026-06-30).