Northern border ag fee delayed

Northern border ag fee delayed The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has again postponed the implementation date for collection of truck and rail inspection fees at the northern border. User fees are now scheduled to be collected beginning June 1.
   The agency last August established inspection requirements for Canadian produce and user fees for commercial vessels, trucks, rail cars and aircraft. The fee collection, which is $5.25 per truck crossing or $105 per year, was originally scheduled to go into effect on Nov. 24, 2006. The revised schedule called for user fee collection to begin Jan. 1 for aircraft and March 1 for other modes.
   APHIS said the delay is necessary to allow time to iron out issues related to risks, inspections and costs of land-border inspections with the Canadian government.
   Prior to the August rulemaking imported fruits and vegetables from Canada were exempt from agriculture inspections for pests and disease. The agency instituted user fees to help cover the cost of inspections. APHIS originally delayed implementation to allow industry more time to comply with the new inspection and collection procedures.