USDA Requires Notification from Exporters

Tim Rocke, Program Manager of Export Sales Reporting at the Foreign Agriculture Service of the United States Department of Agriculture has asked for assistance in notifying United Stated grain and oilseed companies of their obligation to report export sales activities to foreign destinations. The exporters are required to file a short report weekly that should only take minutes to complete.

In the following letter, Mr. Rocke has asked the Grain Inspection Industry to pass on this notification to grain and oilseed exporters doing business with our agencies.

May 3, 2005

To All Grain and Oilseeds Exporters,

This letter is being sent to request your cooperation in notifying all affiliated U.S. grain/oilseed exporters of the requirement to report their export sales activities to the Export Sales Reporting office of the United States Department of Agriculture. USDA has been notified by various sources that some sales and exports of U.S. corn and soybeans to Canada and Mexico via truck and rail have not been reported as required by law. Therefore, USDA is requesting that all exporters of U.S. corn, soybeans, or other reportable commodities, begin immediately reporting their sales and exports to Canada, Mexico, or any other foreign destination.

Section 602 of the Agricultural Act of 1978, as amended by the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990, provides that "All exporters of wheat and wheat flour, feed grains, oil seeds, cotton, rice, cattle hides and skins, beef, and any products thereof, and other commodities that the Secretary may designate as produced in the United States shall report to the Secretary of Agriculture, on a weekly basis, the following information regarding any contract for export sales entered into or subsequently modified in any manner during the reporting period: (A) type, class, and quantity of the commodity sought to be exported; (B) the marketing year of shipment; and (C) destination, if known."

Please note that there is a penalty for noncompliance. Any person who knowingly fails to make any report required under this program shall be fined not more than $25,000 or imprisoned for not more than one year, or both.

The weekly reporting period (Friday to Thursday) reflects new sales for export, the actual exports, and the outstanding balance for the period by country, commodity, and marketing year. All reports are due in our office by close of business each Monday. Individual reports are confidential and are compiled and published each Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. in the U.S. Export Sales publication. The regulations, instructions, and publication are on the Internet at:
http://www.fas.usda.gov/export-sales/esrd1.html

U.S. exporters of any reportable commodity should contact the Export Sales Reporting Staff on (202) 720-9209 or by e-mail esr@fas.usda.gov to begin reporting.

Sincerely,

Tim Rocke
rocke@fas.usda.gov
Program Manager
Export Sales Reporting/FAS/USDA
esr@fas.usda.gov