As early as 1992, as part of the regulatory review, the Branch recognized that there were potential savings in limiting the number of ports. Internal studies have indicated that 65 ports account for 97 percent of the volume of import traffic. Consultation with industry has shown an expectation for continued services at a similar number of ports. Although the Department has considered limiting the number of ports at which services are provided, it has not approached Cabinet for approval to make such a reduction. For the remaining 150 ports representing only 3 percent of the volume, inspections are infrequent and are carried out by inspectors who travel from other inspection offices to the port of entry.
Many commodities are low-risk and are released without agricultural inspection.
Infrequent inspection at a large number of ports of entry reduces the assurance that inspection procedures are carried out consistently. A reduction in the number of ports of entry would reduce this risk and would generate a small cost saving. If industry requests inspections at ports that do not warrant inspectors on site at all times, then the Department could recover any incremental costs associated with such inspections.