Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2009/03/30/E9-7022/importexport-user-fees
Timestamp: 2017-08-24 07:07:02
Document Index: 191287148

Matched Legal Cases: ['§\u2009130', '§\u2009130', '§\u2009130', '§\u2009130', '§\u2009130', '§\u2009130', '§\u2009130', '§\u2009130', '§\u2009130']

A Rule by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service on 03/30/2009
13999-14006 (8 pages)
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/E9-7022 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/E9-7022
We are amending the regulations concerning user fees for import- and export-related services that we provide for animals, animal products, birds, germ plasm, organisms, and vectors. We are increasing those fees for fiscal years 2009 through 2013 in order to ensure that the fees accurately reflect the anticipated costs of providing these services each year. By publishing the annual user fee changes in advance, users can incorporate the fees into their budget planning.
For our user fees to cover our costs so that we can continue to provide services and to inform our customers of user fees in time for advance planning, we proposed to set user fees for our services in advance for fiscal years 2009 to 2013. The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on June 4, 2008 (73 FR 31771-31780, Docket No. APHIS-2006-0144).[1] The proposed user fees were based on our costs of providing import- and export-related services in fiscal years 2005-2007, plus anticipated annual increases in the salaries of the employees who provide the services, plus adjustments for inflation.
We calculate our user fees to cover the full cost of providing the services for which we charge the fee. We are confident that the user fees we proposed will be sufficient to recover the cost of providing these services. Furthermore, we intend to review these fees on at least an annual basis and will publish any necessary adjustments in the Federal Register.
We specifically requested comments about whether import compliance assistance fees would be better charged as hourly fees rather than as flat rate fees. One commenter stated that while charging hourly fees would improve flexibility and make it easier to recover costs, it would also add a burden to agency staff to monitor their time so that the hourly rate could be charged accurately. The commenter stated that correctly calculating time for a task in Start Printed Page 14000a busy office when one might be simultaneously conducting other tasks can be very challenging, and expressed concern that this could lead to undercharging fees. Based on these concerns, the commenter recommended not charging these fees at an hourly rate.
We agree with this commenter and have added a definition for import compliance assistance to the regulations in § 130.1 in this final rule. We have defined import compliance assistance as “Import compliance assistance includes services provided to an importer whose shipment arrives at a port of entry without the necessary paperwork or with incomplete paperwork and who requires assistance to meet the requirements for entry into the United States. Fees for import compliance assistance are charged in addition to the flat rate user fees.”
We did not propose to revise the NVSL user fees in the proposed rule. The current fees for NVSL services were established in a final rule published in the Federal Register on December 19, 2007 (72 FR 71744-71750, Docket No. APHIS-2006-0161). As with other user fees charged by APHIS, NVSL fees are calculated to recover the actual costs of providing testing services. We are making no changes to the rule in response to this comment.
We are also making a minor change to the table in § 130.11 by adding a footnote to the entry for inspection of biosecurity level three facilities to indicate where the fees for inspection of biosecurity level two facilities are listed. We are adding this footnote for the sake of clarity.
The user fee revisions included in this final rule could affect some importers and exporters of live animals, animal products, and animal byproducts. The Small Business Administration (SBA) has established guidelines for determining which businesses are to be considered small. Importers and exporters of live animals, animal products, and animal byproducts are identified within the broader wholesaling trade sector of the U.S. economy. A firm primarily engaged in wholesaling animals or animal products is considered small if it employs not more than 100 persons. These entities either sell goods on their own account (import/export merchants) or arrange for the sale of goods owned by others (import/export agents and brokers). The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 424430 covers dairy products (except dried or canned) merchant wholesalers. According to the 2002 Economic Census (the most recent census available), more than 98 percent of these wholesalers would be considered small by SBA standards.[2] NAICS code 424440 covers poultry and poultry product merchant wholesalers. About 97 percent of these firms would be considered small according to the 2002 Economic Census. NAICS code 424470 covers meat and meat product merchant wholesalers. About 97 percent of these forms would be considered small according to the 2002 Economic Census. NAICS code 424520 covers livestock merchant wholesalers. More than 99 percent of the firms in this category would be considered small according to the 2002 Economic Census. Start Printed Page 14001Thus, the vast majority of entities potentially affected by the rule are likely to be considered small. However, the total impact of the changes should be small, as the fee changes represent a tiny fraction of the value of the shipments of animals and animal products. Imports and exports of livestock, meats, dairy products, poultry, and poultry products were valued at more than $23.8 billion in 2005. By contrast, the increase in annual collections from user fees included in this final rule would be about $5.3 million in FY 2009, and rising to about $14 million in 2013. We do not know the proportion of import and export services that are provided to small entities. However, the degree to which any firm, large or small, will be impacted by these changes is dependent on their level of participation in import or export trade. Based on the information that is available, the effects of the changes contained in this final rule should be small whether the entity affected is small or large.
This proposed rule contains no new information collection or recordkeeping requirements. (See “Paperwork Reduction Act” below).
2. Section 130.1 is amended by adding, in alphabetical order, a definition for
3. Section 130.2 is amended as follows:
Start Printed Page 14002
4. In § 130.3, paragraph (a)(1), the table is revised to read as follows:
Apr. 29, 2009- Sept. 30, 2009
Oct. 1, 2009- Sept. 30, 2010
Oct. 1, 2010- Sept. 30, 2011
Oct. 1, 2011- Sept. 30, 2012
Space A 5,396 sq. ft. (503.1 sq. m.) $83,756.00 $86,268.00 $88,856.00 $91, 513.00 $94,249.00
5. In § 130.4, the table is revised to read as follows:
6. In § 130.6, paragraph (a), the table is revised to read as follows:
7. In § 130.7, paragraph (a), the table is revised to read as follows:
Start Printed Page 14004
8. In § 130.8, paragraph (a), the table is revised to read as follows:
10. In § 130.11, paragraph (a), the table is revised to read as follows:
(a) * * *Start Printed Page 14005
1 The hourly user fee rate in § 130.30(2) applies to biosecurity level two laboratories.
12. Section 130.30 is amended as follows:
1. To view the proposed rule and the comments we received, go to http://www.regulations.gov/​fdmspublic/​component/​main?​main=​DocketDetail&​d=​APHIS-2006-0144.
2. 2002 Economic Census, Department of Commerce, United States Bureau of the Census.
[FR Doc. E9-7022 Filed 3-27-09; 8:45 am]