Customs Fees for Freight Originating
In Canada and Mexico Effective January 1, 2008
The U.S. government mandates that all rail traffic originating in Canada and Mexico must undergo inspection upon entering the United States. In accordance with the government’s examination fees, BNSF carload customers will be charged the following fees, effective January 1, 2008:
APHIS Fees:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) began assessing an agricultural quarantine inspection user fee on all loaded railcars entering the U.S. from Canada effective June 1, 2007. This fee has been assessed on loaded railcars entering the U.S. from Mexico since 1991.
Beginning January 1, 2008, BNSF carload customers will be charged a $7.75 APHIS user fee for each loaded railcar arriving from Canada or Mexico. This charge will appear as a surcharge on the freight invoice.
Further information regarding the user fee can be found in 7 CFR part 354 of the Federal Register. These user fees are authorized by Section 2509(a) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation and Trade Act of 1990, as amended (21 U.S.C. 136a), which authorizes the collection of user fees for agricultural quarantine and inspection (AQI) services.
COBRA Fees:
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection Service collects a user fee to pay for the costs incurred in providing customs services under the authority of section 13031 of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA), as amended, codified at section 19 of U.S.C. 58c. Effective April 1, 2007, each loaded railcar entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico has been assessed a user fee.
Effective January 1, 2008, BNSF carload customers will be charged an $8.25 COBRA user fee for each loaded railcar arriving from Canada or Mexico. This charge will appear as a surcharge on the freight invoice.
If you have questions regarding these fees, please contact your BNSF Sales Representative at 888-428-2673. Your business is important to us. Thank you for choosing BNSF as your transportation service provider.