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Welcome to American Honey Producers Association!
The American Honey Producers Association (AHPA) is an organization with over 550 members that are people just like you, beekeepers making their living from the production of honey.
The AHPA is dedicated to promoting the common interest and general welfare of every American honey producer. From the backyard beekeeper to large commercial beekeeping, whether you run 1 to 2 hives or 80,000 hives, the AHPA pledges to work to improve the future of beekeeping for all.
IMPORTANT!
Opportunity for AHPA Members to Receive Dumping and Countervailing Duties Collected on Honey Imports from China and Argentina
In the fall of each year, the federal government distributes to eligible domestic producers the duties the government has assessed and collected on certain imports that are subject to antidumping ("AD") and countervailing duty ("CVD") orders. For purposes relevant to AHPA members, the government will again distribute this fall AD and CVD duties collected during its fiscal year 2023 (i.e., October 2022 through September 2023) on honey from China and Argentina that was imported into the United States between December 2001 and September 2007, the period during which the so-called "Byrd Amendment" was in effect.
We do not yet know how much money will be distributed this year under the China and Argentina Honey Orders. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) recently stated in its annual “preliminary amounts available” report that it did not collect any duties or related interest under those Orders for the first seven months of FY 2023 (Oct. 2022 - Apr. 2023). Nevertheless, CBP may well collect some small or large amount of duties and interest under the Orders during the last five months of FY 2023 (May – Sept. 2023). If it does, the agency will include those funds in this year’s distribution in November.
Each AHPA member that meets all four of the following requirements is eligible to apply for a "distribution" of the duties collected during FY 2023:
(1) The member was an AHPA member in good standing (including having fully paid its dues) in 2000, when the Petition requesting the AD/CVD honey trade investigations was filed;
(2) The member has fully paid all of its membership dues for each year from 2000 to 2023;
(3) The member has continuously produced and sold raw honey from 2000 to 2023; and
(4) The member is not a member of Sioux Honey Association (“SHA”) or, if it is an SHA member, the member will not receive any part of distributions SHA will receive for FY 2023.
The AHPA will soon submit to the federal government an updated AHPA membership list that will include only those members that meet the first three of these four requirements. Any AHPA member that has not paid its dues through 2023 will not be included on the list the AHPA provides to the government and thus will not be eligible to receive a distribution of the duties collected during FY 2023.
In order to receive a distribution of the collected duties, qualifying AHPA members (i.e., those that meet the four requirements above) must submit to CBP a certification making claims for a distribution under the three AD and CVD trade orders on honey imports from China and Argentina.
This certification must be RECEIVED by CBP by Monday, July 31, 2023. Any certification received by CBP after that date will not be considered. In addition, to the extent you submit your certification to CBP in hard copy, you need to submit three copies of the certification.
Please note: if you are a member of the Sioux Honey Association ("SHA"), you do not need to file - and you should not file - any Byrd Amendment application, because SHA, as a cooperative, is filing on behalf of all of its members.
Our international trade lawyers at Kelley Drye & Warren LLP have drafted the attached memorandum and certification template to assist you in completing the application. CLICK HERE for forms and instructions.
or contact me, Cassie Cox, to send you hard copies. We recommend that you immediately review these documents, and that you prepare and file your certification with CBP as soon as possible. Should you have any questions about preparing your certification that are not answered by these materials, please contact me as follows:
Cassie Cox
281-900-9740
Please contact me only after you have fully reflected on the problem, and have attempted to resolve it by consulting the instructions. If, after that, you still need to contact me, and I am unable to resolve your question, I will present it to the Kelley Drye attorneys.
Cassie Cox
Executive Secretary,
American Honey Producers Association
Raw Honey from Argentina, Brazil, India, and Vietnam Injures U.S. Industry, Says USITC
May 11, 2022
News Release 22-058
Inv. No. 731-TA-1560-1562 and 731-TA-1564 (Final)
Contact: Jennifer Andberg, 202-205-1819
Raw Honey from Argentina, Brazil, India, and Vietnam Injures U.S. Industry, Says USITC
The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) today determined that a U.S. industry is materially injured by reason of imports of raw honey from Argentina, Brazil, India, and Vietnam that the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) has determined are sold in the United States at less than fair value.
Chair Jason E. Kearns, Vice Chair Randolph J. Stayin, and Commissioners David S. Johanson, Rhonda K. Schmidtlein, and Amy A. Karpel voted in the affirmative.
As a result of the Commission’s affirmative determinations, Commerce will issue antidumping duty orders on imports of this product from Argentina, Brazil, India, and Vietnam.
The Commission made a negative critical circumstances finding with regard to imports of this product from Argentina. The Commission made an affirmative critical circumstances finding with regard to imports of this product from Vietnam.
The Commission’s public report Raw Honey from Argentina, Brazil, India, and Vietnam (Inv. Nos. 731-TA-1560-1562 and 731-TA-1564 (Final), USITC Publication 5327, May 2022) will contain the views of the Commission and information developed during the investigations.
The report will be available by June 20, 2022; when available, it may be accessed on the USITC website at: http://pubapps.usitc.gov/applications/publogs/qry_publication_loglist.asp.
UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20436
FACTUAL HIGHLIGHTS
Raw Honey from Argentina, Brazil, India, and Vietnam
Investigation Nos.: 731-TA-1560-1562, 1564 (Final)
Product Description: Honey is a sweet, viscous fluid produced from the nectar of plants and flowers which is collected by honeybees, transformed, and combined with substances of their own, and stored and left in honeycombs to mature and ripen. Raw honey is honey as it exists in the beehive or as obtained by extraction, settling and skimming, or straining.
Status of Proceedings:
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Type of investigation: Final antidumping duty investigations.
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Petitioners: American Honey Producers Association ("AHPA"), Bruce, South Dakota; and Sioux Honey Association ("SHA"), Sioux City, Iowa.
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USITC Institution Date: Wednesday, April 21, 2021.
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USITC Hearing Date: Tuesday, April 12, 2022.
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USITC Vote Date: Wednesday, May 11, 2022.
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USITC Notification to Commerce Date: Tuesday, May 31, 2022.
U.S. Industry in 2020:
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Number of U.S. producers: approximately 30,000 to 60,000.
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Location of producers’ plants: North Dakota, South Dakota, California, Texas, Montana, Florida, Minnesota, and Michigan
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Production and related workers: 1,360.
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U.S. producers’ U.S. shipments: $302 million.
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Apparent U.S. consumption: $690 million.
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Ratio of subject imports to apparent U.S. consumption: 42.8 percent.
U.S. Imports in 2020:
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Subject imports: $296 million.
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Nonsubject imports: $93 million.
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Leading import sources: Argentina, Brazil, India, Vietnam.
https://www.usitc.gov/press_room/news_release/2022/er0511ll1935.htm
What does this mean for beekeepers?
The decision will be transmitted to the Commerce Department, which will issue antidumping duty orders shortly. In addition, the Commission reached an affirmative critical circumstances determination against Vietnam. This means that U.S. Customs will collect antidumping duties on entries going back an additional 90 days prior to the preliminary antidumping duty determination—from August 28, 2020, forward. This is an important additional finding, and one that the Commission rarely makes.
These results should continue to ensure that the American honey producer gets the fair prices they deserve.
We truly appreciate all of the donations that we have received to cover legal fees.
The good fight isn’t over yet, however, and we still need your support.
To donate to the Antidumping Fund, please contact
Cassie Cox: cassie@ahpanet.com
281-900-9740
Or donate on our secure website: https://www.ahpanet.com/donations-1
ELAP - HONEYBEE ASSISTANCE
Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program Overview
The Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) provides emergency assistance to eligible producers of livestock, honeybees and farm-raised fish. It covers losses due to an eligible adverse weather or loss condition, including blizzards and wildfires, as determined by the Secretary. ELAP covers losses that are not covered under other disaster assistance programs authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill, such as the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) and the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP).
ELAP is administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Eligible Honeybees
Eligible honeybees include bees housed in a managed hive and used for honey production, pollination or honeybee breeding. Eligible honeybees do not include wild, feral honeybees, leaf cutter bees or other bee species that are not used for producing honey, pollinating or breeding honeybees.
Eligible Losses
Losses of colonies must be in excess of normal mortality. ELAP covers damage to hives and feed that was purchased or produced, including additional feed purchased above normal quantities to sustain honeybees until such time that additional feed becomes available.
The colony, hive and feed losses must be:
Due to an eligible adverse weather or loss condition; and
Incurred by an eligible honeybee producer in the county where the eligible adverse weather or loss condition occurred.
For full fact sheet click here: https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/803a53_67a24e135689484d88e64a58db883a31.pdf
Best Management Practices for Bee Health
A Guide for Beekeepers
Every beekeeper should seek to have hives that are healthy and productive. Today, the many threats to honey bee health — including parasites, pests, disease, pesticides, and inadequate nutrition — make achieving this goal a major challenge. Successful beekeeping means closely monitoring bee health and taking proactive steps to protect them.
Over the years, a wide range of public and private organizations have developed Best Management Practices (BMPs) for the honey bee industry. Important work has been done by state governments, crop and grower organizations, universities (particularly extension services), state beekeeping organizations and other stakeholders. This guide collects BMPs from many sources into one document to make it easy for beekeepers to find practical information that they can use. Experts from within and outside the Honey Bee Health Coalition, including entomologists, small-scale and commercial beekeepers, apiary inspectors and commercial bee suppliers, have reviewed the BMPs in this guide to make sure that they are accurate and consistent with the latest research findings.
Whether you are just starting out as a beekeeper or have years of experience, you’ll find that this guide offers valuable BMPs on many topics, including:
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Safety
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Apiary and hive set up and maintenance
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Pesticide exposure
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Treatment of parasites and bee diseases
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Queen health, bee breeding and stock selection
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Bee nutrition
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Download Best Management Practices for Bee Health
