The Buzz Newsletter

September 2006

 

 

Page 2

 

Dates to BEE Remembered:

IHPA Annual Meeting
November 17th and 18th.

To add an important date to the list, contact the Buzz by email at
thebuzz@abuzzaboutbees.com

 

American Honey Producers Association News Bulletin

Congress Enacts New Shipper Bonding Suspension Law

After two years of hard work by the AHPA and its Congressional supporters, Congress has passed and sent to the President for signature legislation to suspend bonding for imports from new shippers in antidumping duty (“AD”) cases. The new law suspends until June 30, 2009 the ability of importers from new shippers to post bonds. Instead, these imports will now be required to post cash deposits to secure estimated AD duties. The suspension is also retroactive to new shipper imports made on or after April 1, 2006, meaning the bonds posted after that date will have to be replaced with cash deposits. Finally, the new law provides for a study on ways to improve the collection of AD duties and for a study of the benefits of extending the suspension of new shipper bonding beyond 2009 or permanently repealing the bonding privilege.

The provision suspending new shipper bonding was included with a number of other trade provisions in a pension reform bill (H.R.4). H.R.4 passed the House by a vote of 279-141 on July 28. The Senate passed H.R.4 by a vote of 93-5 on August 3 and President Bush will soon sign the bill into law.

The new shipper bonding suspension provision included in H.R.4 combines the best features of a number of earlier new shipper proposals. It includes a study on improving AD duty collections originally proposed by House Ways & Means Chairman Bill Thomas as a means of improving AD duty collections by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”). Additionally, the April 1 effective date was included in earlier legislation proposed by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley and Ranking Member Max Baucus. Since its introduction, legislation with this April 1 effective date has played a significant role in deterring abusive new shipper imports. Chairman Grassley, Senator Baucus and Chairman Thomas were all instrumental in including the new shipper provision in H.R.4.

The new shipper provision would not have become law without the tremendous efforts of other key legislators who have worked very closely with our AHPA team. This is particularly true of Senators Thad Cochran and Robert Byrd. They took the lead in originally introducing new shipper bonding legislation in 2004 and twice had the Senate unanimously pass a shipper bill. Congressmen Chip Pickering and Marion Barry were also champions of our cause. They originally sponsored new legislation in the House and strongly supported House passage of a new shipper provision. In addition, a bipartisan group of over 30 Senators and Members of Congress from around the country also co-sponsored various new shipper bills.

The AHPA will continue to work with our Congressional supporters to assure that the new legislation is immediately and fully implemented by CBP.

Suspension of bonding for new shipper imports should significantly restore the effectiveness of AD orders against unfairly traded honey and result in the return of fair market prices to the U.S. honey market.

 

A Year With Honeybees This video has proven to be popular available on either VHS tape or DVD. It follows beekeeper Dick Blake through an entire production season. It starts with spring feeding and ends with the barrels of honey being loaded on the truck. There is good information here for beekeepers of every level. Available form the Iowa Honey Producers for $20. That includes shipping within Iowa. It may be slightly higher elsewhere. Make checks payable to the Iowa Honey Producers and send to one of the addresses below. The Buzz c/o Phil Ebert 14808 102nd Ave. E. Lynnville, IA 50153 Margaret Hala 1988 Vine Ave. Marshalltown, IA 50158