USDA sets Canadian import inspection, user fees

USDA sets Canadian import inspection, user fees    The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has adopted as a final rule, with changes, an interim rule that requires inspection of Canadian grown fruits and vegetables imported into the United States.
   The rule also removes the user fee exemption for certain commercial vessels, trucks, railcars and planes, as well as international airline passengers entering the United States from Canada.
   The agency said its data shows an increasing number of interceptions along the U.S.-Canadian border of prohibited fruits and vegetables from regions other than Canada. 'These products pose a high risk of introducing plant pests into the United States,' APHIS said in a statement.
   APHIS is also concerned about commercial conveyances carrying non-agricultural products because the material holding the products — or even the conveyance itself — could serve as a host for pets and diseases if left unchecked.
   'These inspections are necessary to further prevent the introduction of plant and animal pests and diseases into the United States via conventional pathways or through bioterrorism,' the agency said.