Christmas Tree Cartel Votes: Keep the Feds Funding Your Festive Fir Fees?
Published Date: 9/3/2026
Notice
Summary
Christmas tree growers and importers who handled 500+ trees between Sept 2025 and March 2026 will vote from Oct 1-16, 2026, on whether to keep the national Christmas tree research and promotion program going. This program helps support marketing and research efforts funded by assessments on these producers. If they vote yes, the program continues without changes, keeping the support and fees in place.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.
Continuation Keeps Fees and Support
If a majority of eligible domestic producers and importers voting in the referendum held October 1–16, 2026 vote yes, the national Christmas Tree research and promotion program will continue unchanged. That keeps the program’s marketing and research support and the assessments (fees) on producers/importers who produced or imported 500 or more Christmas trees between September 1, 2025 and March 15, 2026 in place.
Termination Ends Fees and Support
If a majority of eligible domestic producers and importers voting in the October 1–16, 2026 referendum do not favor continuation, USDA will follow suspension and termination procedures and end the national Christmas Tree research and promotion program. That would stop the program assessments on producers/importers who produced or imported 500 or more Christmas trees between September 1, 2025 and March 15, 2026 and end the program-funded marketing and research support.
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