Source:  PRESS RELEASE, 12/8/14

Today Congressman Kevin Cramer urged U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to withdraw a proposal to dramatically increase fees for agriculture inspections at U.S. ports of entry. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) first proposed the increases to Agricultural Quarantine Inspection (AQI) fees in the Federal Register on April 24. The proposal would increase fees for commercial trucks by 52 percent, commercial trucks with transponders by 205 percent, commercial vessels by 66 percent, and commercial aircraft by 218 percent.

“We are disappointed that APHIS officials did not...seek the views of many affected stakeholders before issuing the proposed rule making. Consequently, we urge APHIS to consider withdrawing the pending rule making and instead negotiate another more workable proposal with representatives of affected stakeholders,” wrote Cramer and 16 of his colleagues to Secretary Vilsack.

The signed letter can be viewed here.