American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) > News

Our Mission

The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) is the national trade association and voice of the herbal products industry. Founded in 1982, AHPA's mission is to promote the responsible and sustainable commerce of herbal products to ensure that consumers have informed access to a wide variety of safe herbal goods. AHPA’s Vision is for high quality herbal products to be readily accessible to and broadly used by consumers.

Our Expertise

AHPA has particular expertise on the history, science, and regulation of botanicals while its work also has significant influence on non-herbal dietary supplements. Similarly, AHPA expends its resources on issues in the U.S. marketplace and in the international arena, wherever member interests are served.

Our Members

AHPA is comprised of more than 350 domestic and international companies conducting business as growers, processors, manufacturers, and marketers of herbs and herbal products. AHPA members’ herbal products are in tea, beverage, dietary supplement, sports nutrition, personal care, pet and other product categories. AHPA membership also includes individuals, companies and organizations who serve the industry, including consultants, attorneys, media, researchers, educators, and medical professionals.

AHPA working to update and expand Herbs of Commerce

AHPA will solicit member feedback on proposed updates

AHPA has been working with an expert advisory committee to review, revise and broaden AHPA's Herbs of Commerce, the standard for common and scientific plant names used for herbal products.

NBJ data shows strong growth in 2017 herbal supplement sales

Sales increased 8.5 percent in 2017

The latest data presented at NBJ Summit shows that herbal and botanical supplements sales grew by 8.5 percent in 2017 and sales of all dietary supplements grew by 5.4 percent.

New U.S. tariffs proposed on Chinese imports of many herb and supplement ingredients

Proposal would increase tariffs on flax, hemp seed, ginseng, mushrooms, fish oils, minerals, and more

The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) is proposing an additional 10 percent ad valorem duty on numerous Chinese imports with an annual trade value of approximately $200 billion. The list of products of China identified by USTR as subject to this new proposed tariff includes many herbal and plant-derived substances as well as a number of other ingredients found in dietary supplements.

AHPA submits GMO labeling recommendations to USDA

July 7, 2018: USDA proposal would hinder consumer access to information on genetically modified foods

In an effort to ensure American consumers can discern if their food includes GMOs, AHPA recommended significant revisions to a proposed rule issued by USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) to establish a mandatory, national bioengineered (BE) food disclosure standard.

AHPA urges FDA to advocate for lawful access to CBD supplements in the June 2018 AHPA Report!

June 2018 AHPA Report

AHPA represents member interests at Cosmetic Ingredient Review meeting

AHPA attends Cosmetic Ingredient Review meeting finalizing Ginkgo biloba and eucalyptus cosmetic ingredient safety reports

American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) Chief Information Analyst Merle Zimmermann, Ph.D., attended the 147th Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel Meeting on the safety of ingredients used in cosmetics held in Washington, D.C., Jun. 4-5. The meeting included discussions of two CIR safety reports being developed on Gingko biloba and eucalyptus cosmetic ingredients.

AHPA Presents at Canna West 2018

June 7, 2018: AHPA Chief Science Officer Dr. Johnson highlights AHPA resources for the cannabis industry

AHPA Chief Science Officer Holly Johnson, Ph.D., participated in a panel discussion yesterday on testing and labeling standards for cannabis products to increase product safety and decrease producers’ liability at Canna West 2018 held in Los Angeles.

AHPA recommends oshá harvest permitting in GMUG National Forests

June 2018: Research supported by the AHPA ERB Foundation concludes plants have a high capacity for post‐harvest recolonization

AHPA recently submitted comments to the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forests to recommend that a revision of its plan for land and resource management include a process for permitting commercial harvest of oshá (Ligusticum porteri) root.

AHPA endorses the Hemp Farming Act of 2018

May 4, 2018: AHPA Board adopts policy to support any state or federal efforts to decriminalize hemp

AHPA is endorsing federal legislation recently introduced to decriminalize hemp and the AHPA Board of Trustees has adopted a policy for the association to support any future state or federal legislation to decriminalize the plant and all its derivatives.

The Art of Drying and Milling Botanicals

Convened July 2018

Attend this workshop to learn from one of the industry’s top drying and milling experts. Willis will take you on a tour of his facility and provide an up close and personal view of Bighorn Botanicals drying and milling process.

Press Room

AHPA Experts