OTTAWA — The Canadian Trucking Alliance is concerned that unnecessary border delays will result when a recently published interim rule from the US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) comes into force on November 24th.

As reported last week, the new rule would bring an end to the exemption Canada has historically enjoyed from agricultural quarantine inspections of fruits and vegetables from Canada, along with associated user fees.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to tack on new user fees for air passengers and trucking companies to pay for yet another security requirement.

The U.S. says it is stepping up agricultural inspections of both travelers and commercial shipments at the Canada-U.S. border to prevent the threat of bioterrorism, pests, and disease.

All truckers will have to fork over the levy despite only
5 to 20 percent of trucks carry agricultural products

According to APHIS, “Product of Canada” labels are being placed on third country products including Asian fruits and vegetables, Spanish oranges and Dutch apples. Off-shore flowers have also been mixed with Canadian domestic varieties, notes the agency.

To pay for the $77 million enforcement plan, people traveling by air from Canada to the U.S. will be charged $5 US, and truckers — crossing the border — whether they haul agriculture or not — will pay $5.25 US per crossing, or $105 for an annual decal. The fees will also likely increase next fiscal year, according to CP.

The Canadian Trucking Alliance states in a press release that the proposal appears to have caught government and industry on both sides of the border off-guard. CEO David Bradley says the proposal targets the wrong party and fraught with practical difficulties.

“CTA strenuously objects to the plan to have the trucking industry pick up the tab for new inspectors and more inspections. Why are service providers such as trucking companies paying for the inspection of someone else’s goods? And why, if APHIS has concerns over plant pests and animal diseases, is the fee being applied to carriers of auto parts, bulk chemicals and computer equipment? It’s pretty obvious that charging the truck is expedient for government, but that does not make it right.”

Bradley also sees the potential for delays at the border. Almost 20,000 trucks enter the US from Canada every day, according to CTA. The USDA estimates that only 5 to 20 percent of those trucks carry agricultural products.

Chief among the CTA’s complaints is the fee would overlap an existing charge on trucks levied by U.S. Customs. Bradley also sited a myriad of practical obstacles, such as getting decals on to the windshields of trucks in a little over two months? “What is the process? Because if they don’t, there will be thousands of truck drivers at the border on November 24th, fumbling for cash and waiting for government officials to count out change. One can only imagine the frustration and anger that will ensue on both sides.”

CTA is calling on the Canadian federal government to forcefully intervene with the U.S. in support of the entire Canadian transportation industry.