(a) Official inspection and weighing services. The fees shown in Schedule A of paragraph (a)(1) of this section apply to official inspection and weighing services performed by FGIS in the U.S. and Canada. The fees shown in Schedule B of paragraph (a)(2) of this section apply to official domestic inspection and weighing services performed by delegated States and designated agencies, including land carrier shipments to Canada and Mexico. The fees charged to delegated States by the Service are set forth in the State's Delegation of Authority document. Failure of a delegated State or designated agency to pay the appropriate fees to the Service within 30 days after becoming due will result in an automatic termination of the delegation or designation. The delegation or designation may be reinstated by the Service if fees that are due, plus interest and any further expenses incurred by the Service because of the termination, are paid within 60 days of the termination.

(1) Schedule A—Fees for official inspection and weighing services performed in the United States and Canada. For each calendar year, FGIS will calculate Schedule A fees as defined in paragraph (b) of this section. FGIS will publish a notice in the Federal Register and post Schedule A fees on the Agency's public website.

(2) Schedule B—Fees for FGIS Supervision of Official Inspection and Weighing Services Performed by Delegated States and/or Designated Agencies in the United States. The supervision fee charged by the Service is $0.011 per metric ton of domestic U.S. grain shipments inspected and/or weighed, including land carrier shipments to Canada and Mexico.

(b) Annual review of fees. For each calendar year, starting with 2017, the Service will review the fees in Schedule A in paragraph (a)(1) of this section and publish fees effective January 1 of each year according to the following:

(1) Tonnage fees. Tonnage fees will consist of the national tonnage fee and local tonnage fees and will be calculated and rounded to the nearest $0.001 per metric ton. All outbound grain officially inspected and/or weighed by the Field Offices in New Orleans, League City, Portland, and Toledo will be assessed the national tonnage fee plus the appropriate local tonnage fee. Export grain officially inspected and/or weighed by delegated States and official agencies, excluding land carrier shipments to Canada and Mexico, will be assessed the national tonnage fee only. The fees will be set according to the following:

(i) National tonnage fee. The national tonnage fee is the national program administrative costs for the previous fiscal year divided by the average yearly tons of export grain officially inspected and/or weighed by delegated States and designated agencies, excluding land carrier shipments to Canada and Mexico, and outbound grain officially inspected and/or weighed by the Service during the previous 5 fiscal years.

(ii) Local tonnage fee. The local tonnage fee is the Field Office administrative costs for the previous fiscal year divided by the average yearly tons of outbound grain officially inspected and/or weighed by the Field Office during the previous 5 fiscal years. The local tonnage fee is calculated individually for each Field Office.

(2) Operating reserve. In order to maintain an operating reserve not less than 3 and not more than 6 months, the Service will review the value of the operating reserve at the end of each fiscal year and adjust fees according to the following:

(i) Less than 4.5 months. If the operating reserve is less than 4.5 times the monthly operating expenses, the Service will increase all fees in Schedule A in paragraph (a)(1) of this section by 2 percent for each $1,000,000, rounded down, that the operating reserve is less than 4.5 times the monthly operating expense, with a maximum increase of 5 percent annually. Except for fees based on tonnage or hundredweight, all fees will be rounded to the nearest $0.10.

(ii) Greater than 4.5 months. If the operating reserve is greater than 4.5 times the monthly operating expenses, the Service will decrease all fees in Schedule A in paragraph (a)(1) of this section by 2 percent for each $1,000,000, rounded down, that the operating reserve is greater than 4.5 times the monthly operating expense, with a maximum decrease of 5 percent annually. Except for fees based on tonnage or hundredweight, all fees will be rounded to the nearest $0.10.

(c) Periodic review. The Service will periodically review and adjust all fees in Schedules A and B in paragraphs (a)(1) and (2) of this section, respectively, as necessary to ensure they reflect the true cost of providing and supervising official service. This process will incorporate any fee adjustments from paragraph (b) of this section.

(d) Miscellaneous fees for other services—(1) Registration certificates and renewals.

(i) The nature of your business will determine the fees that your business must pay for registration certificates and renewals:

(A) If you operate a business that buys, handles, weighs, or transports grain for sale in foreign commerce, you must pay $135.00.

(B) If you operate a business that buys, handles, weighs, or transports grain for sale in foreign commerce and you are also in a control relationship (see definition in section 17A(b)(2) of the Act) with respect to a business that buys, handles, weighs, or transports grain for sale in interstate commerce, you must pay $270.00.

(ii) If you request extra copies of registration certificates, you must pay $2.20 for each copy.

(2) Designation amendments. If you submit an application to amend a designation, you must pay $75.00.

(3) Scale testing organizations. If you submit an application to operate as a scale testing organization, you must pay $250.00.

[81 FR 49860, July 29, 2016, as amended at 81 FR 96340, Dec. 30, 2016; 83 FR 6453, Feb. 14, 2018; 83 FR 11633, Mar. 16, 2018; 83 FR 66585, Dec. 27, 2018]