Intermodal Customs Fees - APHIS and COBRA

Overview

The U.S. government mandates that all rail traffic originating in Canada and Mexico must undergo inspection before entering the United States. In accordance with the government’s examination fees, BNSF intermodal shippers will be charged both of the following fees. The $2.00 charges will appear as a surcharge on the freight bill when BNSF is the invoicing carrier. These will apply to shipments moving on through trans-border rate, Rule 11, and traffic re-billed after receipt at the border.

APHIS Fees

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) assesses an agricultural quarantine inspection user fee on all loaded shipments entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico. BNSF intermodal shippers will be charged a $1.00 APHIS user fee for each loaded trailer or container arriving from Canada or Mexico. 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 on shipments entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico. BNSF Intermodal shippers will be charged a $1.00 COBRA user fee for each loaded trailer or container arriving from Canada or Mexico.