Northern border inspection fee kicks in

Northern border inspection fee kicks in    U.S. inspection and user fees for agricultural products and commercial ground transportation from Canada go into effect Friday.
   The Agriculture Department's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said last year it planned to remove the exemption for inspections of Canadian-grown fruit and vegetables as well as a user fee exemption for vessels, trucks and rail cars entering from Canada carrying such products. The final rule, designed to prevent the introduction of pests and diseases into the United States, was published in March.
   Implementation of the new requirements, which are enforced by Customs and Border Protection, was staggered to allow industry to prepare for the change.
   The inspection fee amounts are:
   * Commercial trucks, $5.25 per entry, $105 annually with a purchased transponder.
   * Commercial vessels (100 net tons or more), $490 per entry, after the 15th entry, no charge.
   * Loaded commercial railroad cars, $7.75 per entry.
   * Commercial aircraft, $70.50 per arrival.
   * International airline passengers, $5 per arrival.
   The user fee amount changes on Oct. 1 of each year. The most current fees are available at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/mrpbs/ufees/ufees.html.