US Agriculture Department proposes increase in inspection charges

US Department of Agriculture announced plans to raise user charges for agricultural quarantine and inspection by 10% per international arriving passenger and commercial aircraft, effective 01-Oct-2009 to 30-Sep-2010 (Aviation Week, 29-Sep-2009). Meanwhile, Air Transport Association of America (ATA) stated US airlines will not have sufficient time to implement the proposed increase and has called for an extension on the implementation date (Bloomberg, 29-Sep-2009). The Agriculture Department has stated it will "talk to [the] industry about their concerns and determine if a short delay is warranted and feasible."