Commerce Department's Hourly Seafood Inspection Fees to Be Raised 7.5% Starting Feb 1
SEAFOODNEWS.COM by Susan Chambers - January 13, 2016
The basic hourly fees for the U.S. Department of Commerce Seafood Inspection Program contracted services will increase by about 7.5 percent, to $112, beginning Feb. 1.
The voluntary program conducted by NOAA is not funded by appropriations and relies entirely on fees and charges to cover its operating costs, according to memo from the program’s Deputy Director, Steve Wilson. While the methods for setting consultative services in 2016 is the same as in 2015, the fee change is an effort to minimize rate changes from year to year and move to a simpler system of one related to contracts and one for non-contracted inspection services.
While the USDC program that includes HACCP and other seafood inspection and analysis is voluntary, it is different from the Food and Drug Administration’ HACCP inspection program. Seafood distributors exporting products to the European Union and China likely need a USDC inspection certificate; other countries may not require it. Participants in the USDC Seafood Inspection Program can use the federal “U.S. Grade A” and “PUFI” (Processed Under Federal Inspection) marks and related statements in their packaging and sales...
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