Agricultural Quarantine and Inspection (AQI) User Fees Explained: A Small Entity Compliance Guide
APHIS and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) carry out AQI program activities to intercept and keep out foreign agricultural pests and diseases that could affect U.S. agriculture, trade, and the environment. To sustain the program, APHIS charges user fees for AQI services. The fees recover the costs of providing AQI services and overhead and other indirect costs of administering the user fee program.
AQI user fee regulations are listed in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Title 7, Part 354.3, User Fees For Certain International Services.
AQI User Fees
| AQI User Fee Category | Previous Fee (Beginning December 1, 2022) (1, 2) | Current Fee (Beginning October 1, 2024) (1, 3) | Beginning October 1, 2025 (1, 3) | Beginning October 1, 2026 (1, 3) | Beginning October 1, 2027 (1, 3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Vessel | $825.00 | $2,903.73 | $2,981.17 | $3,059.61 | $3,139.06 |
| Commercial Vessel- Great Lakes/Cascadia (4) | N/A(5) | $837.51 | $850.03 | $862.54 | $875.06 |
| Commercial Truck | $7.29 | $12.40(6) | $13.45(6) | $14.50(6) | $15.55(6) |
| Commercial Truck (Transponder) (7) | $291.60 | $622.00(8) | $808.20(8) | $870.60(8) | $935.40(8) |
| Commercial Railroad Car | $2.00 | $6.51 | $7.23 | $7.97 | $8.72 |
| Commercial Railroad Car (Prepaid) (7) | $40.00 | $312.48 | $347.04 | $382.56 | $418.56 |
| Commercial Aircraft (9) | $225.00 | $281.39 | $300.78 | $320.61 | $340.90 |
| International Air Passenger | $3.83 | $3.71 | $3.84 | $3.98 | $4.12 |
| International Cruise (Sea) Passenger | $1.68 | $1.25 | $1.29 | $1.34 | $1.39 |
| Treatment Monitoring (10) | $237.00 | $240.60 | $244.19 | $247.79 | $251.38 |
(1) All fees in U.S. dollars
(2) As specified in the November 1, 2022 Stakeholder Announcement and APHIS’ methodology for determining if a particular fee included a reserve component
(3)As specified in the 2024 Final Rule: User Fees for Agricultural Quarantine and Inspection Services
(4)See reference maps depicting the Great Lakes (420.69 KB) and Cascadia regions
(5) This geographically limited fee rate does not exist under the current fee schedule; however, certain vessels in this category do currently pay the current commercial vessel fee
(6) Rounded down to the next $0.05 (five-cent) increment to facilitate border operations
(7) One annual payment for unlimited crossings within a calendar year
(8) Prepaid fees are set at 50 times the unrounded fee rate of $12.44, and 60 times the unrounded fee rates of $13.47, $14.51, and $15.59, respectively.
(9) We are delaying implementation of the commercial aircraft user fee for aircraft with 64 or fewer seats until April 1, 2025.
(10) Per enclosure
Announcements
- Stakeholder Announcement: APHIS Revises and Strengthens Agricultural Quarantine and Inspection Program to Meet the Challenge of Protecting American Agriculture
- 2024 Final Rule: User Fees for Agricultural Quarantine and Inspection Services
- Reminder: 2023 AQI User Fee Proposed Rule Stakeholder Webinar Recordings and AQI User Fee Cost Model Rollup Reports are still available for viewing
Authority To Charge Fees
The Government charges user fees for goods or services that are normally not available to the general public.1,2 Section 2509(a) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation and Trade (FACT) Act of 1990 (21 U.S.C. 136a), as amended by the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 (Budget Reconciliation Act), authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to prescribe and collect user fees sufficient to cover the costs of providing AQI services.
The FACT Act shifts most of the AQI program’s costs from taxpayers to the carriers, owners, and importers of the goods, whose entry into the United States creates a risk of introducing pests and diseases. APHIS charges user fees to individuals or firms who use AQI program services. We structure the fees to recover both APHIS and CBP's costs to carry out AQI program activities, which are separate from other fees CBP charges under other statutes. The U.S. Treasury maintains an AQI user fee account containing all user fees collected for AQI program services, as well as associated late payment penalties and interest charges.
1 User Fee Design Guide, GAO-08-386SP Federal User Fees, A Design Guide
2 Office of Management and Budget Circular A-25, User Charges
How We Calculate AQI User Fees
To calculate each user fee, APHIS uses an activity-based cost model. This cost accounting method determines a fee by identifying the costs to provide a specific service. This is a two-step process:
- The program’s costs are allocated to a series of activities.
- The costs assigned to those activities are allocated to the fee areas based on the level of effort (measured in frontline full time equivalent hours) associated with each fee area.
For example, the costs associated with the cargo inspection activity (which include the costs of providing the service, as well as the administrative and overhead costs associated with providing the service) are allocated to the commercial vessel, truck, railroad car, and aircraft fees based on the level of effort in each of those fee areas. This cost allocation approach avoids cross-subsidization (for example, cargo inspection costs do not get assigned to passengers or treatment users).
AQI User fees require periodic adjustment to ensure they accurately reflect the cost of providing AQI services. These periodic adjustments occur via the rulemaking process, in which APHIS publishes a proposed rule in the Federal Register to solicit public comments on the proposed fee changes. Each comment is evaluated by subject matter experts and addressed in the final rule.
Contact Us
APHIS AQI User Fee Policy
Cost and Fee Analysis Division
Email: aqi.user.fees@usda.gov
Phone: 301-851-2338
Local APHIS AQI-Related Questions
Contact the APHIS plant health director in your State or Territory.
APHIS Financial/Payment Information
For financial and remittance submission questions:
Accounts Receivable Team
AQI Accounts Receivable Team
USDA, APHIS, AQI
P.O. Box 979044
St. Louis, MO 63197
USDA, APHIS, AQI
Attn: Gov’t Lockbox, P.O. Box 979044
1005 Convention Plaza | St. Louis, MO 63101
CBP Policy Questions
For U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) policy questions:
CBP’s Agriculture Program and Trade Liaison Process Resolution and Risk Management branch
CBP Agriculture Programs and Trade Liaison
Email: aptlprocessres@cbp.dhs.gov
CBP Financial/Payment Information
For CBP financial or payment information and help desk:
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Revenue Division
Email: CUFIUFHelp@cbp.dhs.gov
Phone: 317-381-5400
CBP-CUF & CBP-IUF, Attn: User Fee Team
6650 Telecom Dr., Suite 100
Indianapolis, IN 46278
A Small Entity Compliance Guide
This AQI user fee landing page and associated subpages constitute compliance with the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996 (Pub. L. No. 110-28, enacted March 29, 1996) (SBREFA), as amended by the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 (Pub. L. No. 110-28, enacted May 25, 2007) (FMWA) as APHIS’ Small Entity Compliance Guide for the AQI Program User Fee Regulations.