[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 169 (Tuesday, September 2, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52175-52176]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-22296]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Foreign Agricultural Service


Assessment of Fees for Dairy Import Licenses for the 2004 Tariff-
Rate Import Quota Year.

AGENCY: Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces that the fee to be charged for the 2004 
tariff-rate quota (TRQ) year for each license issued to a person or 
firm by the Department of Agriculture authorizing the importation of 
certain dairy articles which are subject to tariff-rate quotas set 
forth in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS) will 
be $170.00 per license.

EFFECTIVE DATES: January 1, 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Hankin, Dairy Import Quota 
Manager, Import Policies and Programs Division, STOP 1021, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, 
DC 20250-1021 or telephone at (202) 720-9439 or e-mail at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Dairy Import Tariff-Rate Quota Licensing 
Regulation promulgated by the Department of Agriculture and codified at 
7 CFR 6.20-6.37 provides for the issuance of licenses to import certain 
dairy articles that are subject to TRQs set forth in the HTS. Those 
dairy articles may only be entered into the United States at the in-
quota TRQ tariff-rates by or for the account of a person or firm to 
whom such licenses have been issued and only in accordance with the 
terms and conditions of the regulation.
    Licenses are issued on a calendar year basis, and each license 
authorizes the license holder to import a specified quantity and type 
of dairy article from a specified country of origin. The use of 
licenses by the license holder to import dairy articles is monitored by 
the Dairy Import Quota Manager, Import Policies and Programs Division, 
Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the 
U.S. Customs Service.
    The regulation at 7 CFR 6.33(a) provides that a fee will be charged 
for each license issued to a person or firm by the Licensing Authority 
in order to reimburse the Department of Agriculture for the costs of 
administering the licensing system under this regulation.
    The regulation at 7 CFR 6.33(a) also provides that the Licensing 
Authority will announce the annual fee for each license and that such 
fee will be set out in a notice to be published in the Federal 
Register. Accordingly, this notice sets out the fee for the licenses to 
be issued for the 2004 calendar year.

Notice

    In order to establish a fee appropriate to defray the costs of 
administering the licensing system, the Department of Agriculture has 
reviewed the costs estimated to be incurred during the 2003 quota year 
and will base the fee for the 2004 quota year on those costs. The total 
cost to the Department of Agriculture of administering the licensing 
system during 2003 has been determined to be $433,000 and the estimated 
number of licenses expected to be issued is 2,560. Of the total cost, 
$200,000 represents staff and supervisory costs directly related to 
administering the licensing system for 2003; $50,000 represents the 
total

[[Page 52176]]

computer costs to monitor and issue import licenses for 2003; and 
$183,000 represents other miscellaneous costs, including travel, 
postage, publications, forms, and ADP system contractors.
    Accordingly, notice is hereby given that the fee for each license 
issued to a person or firm for the 2004 calendar year, in accordance 
with 7 CFR 6.33, will be $170.00 per license.

    Issued at Washington, DC the 27th day of August, 2003.
Michael Hankin,
Licensing Authority.
[FR Doc. 03-22296 Filed 8-29-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-10-M