11/13/06 Canada Opposes Fees

Canada Apposes Fees. I'm Greg Martin with today's Line On Agriculture. The Canadian government and the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) have officially informed the U.S. government they oppose new procedures for collecting agricultural inspection fees. U.S. Customs and Border Protection plans to put the new regulations in place on November 24th. The fee is part of a rule of the U.S. Animal Plant Health Inspection Service. It is designed to pay for inspections of fruits, vegetables and flowers entering the U.S. - which are labeled as products of Canada - but originate elsewhere. Ron Lennox - Vice-President of the CTA Trade and Security - says his group is not questioning the importance of agricultural inspections. However - he says the APHIS plan is flawed. He says the fees apply to all trucks crossing into the U.S. from Canada whether they are hauling agricultural products or other goods. LENNOX: The problem shouldn't be brought down and sorted out at the border. It's also fairly clear from the documents released by USDA that somewhere between 80 and 95% of trucks don't carry the products that are of interest to them. And yet the fee is going to apply to everyone no matter if it's a Canadian carrier, a U.S. carrier hauling auto parts or apples. The fee will apply. As a result - the single crossing rate for trucks will more than double - to $10.25. Meanwhile - Lennox says the nature of the inspection process is still not clear. LENNOX: How many trucks&how many additional trucks will be pulled over for inspection? How long it's going to take to inspect those trucks, those sorts of things so that part of it is still up in the air. Canadian officials want the U.S. to withdraw the program and replace it with bilateral discussions between the countries aimed at addressing the issue in a fairer and more effective manner. And according to Lennox - there is support for the Canadian position in the U.S. LENNOX: One can look at all the comments that have been made to this particular interim rule online and everyday there seems to be more from not just Canadian concerned interests but U.S. companies as well. Until now - Canada has been exempt from the inspection fees paid by other countries since the early 1990s. The fees apply to all commercial shipments and air travelers. That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.