30 December 2008

 

 

 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection warned importers that a new inspection protocol for agriculture shipments on the northern border could significantly increase cargo delays.

 

The border control agency said it will introduce a standard inspection protocol on Feb. 1 for Canadian-grown fruits and vegetables that involves a more formal, risk-based approach for selecting shipments with potential pest and disease problems for examination.

 

Customs officers have been inspecting agriculture shipments from Canada on a random basis since March 1, 2007, when the Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service lifted a pre-existing inspection exemption for Canadian agriculture products. The government also instituted user fees for truck and rail shipments to cover the cost of additional inspections….