USFWS to Increase Fees
“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will…increase inspection fees and update license and fee requirements for importing and exporting wildlife, in order to recover more of the costs of inspecting shipments from those who use these services. The Service is also proposing to add new fees for certain types of shipments and eliminate some exemptions from import/export license and inspection fee requirements. Most imports and exports of wildlife and wildlife products must be declared and cleared by Service wildlife inspectors. Individuals or companies engaged in commercial wildlife trade must be licensed by the Service and pay inspection fees for their shipments. Under the fee schedule outlined by the Service, these commercial importers and exporters will see fees rise gradually over the next five years, but they will be able to plan ahead for increased costs through 2012. The flat rate “base†inspection fee for a commercial shipment inspected at a designated port (including ports that function as “designated†for particular types of shipments) during normal business hours will increase from $55 to $85 in 2008. This fee will rise incrementally each year thereafter until it reaches $93 in 2012. The 2008 base inspection fee for all shipments imported or exported at other ports will be $133. This fee will also increase by small amounts each year, rising to $145 in 2012. All importers and exporters using ports where Service inspectors are not stationed will also pay travel, transportation, and per diem costs associated with inspection of their shipments. The Service is also proposing to charge special “premium†fees for shipments consisting of live wildlife or protected species. Businesses dealing in such wildlife will pay the new premium fees in addition to the appropriate base inspection fee. Details of the Service’s proposal will publish in [the] Federal Register at http://www.fws.gov/le/.†(Source: USFWS)