APHIS MOVING TO ELECTRONIC PAYMENTS ONLY
August 13, 2026
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On July 13, 2026, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (“APHIS”) informed U.S. and foreign air carriers that all payments made in connection with the Agricultural Quarantine and Inspection (“AQI”) program must be processed electronically effective August 2026. As the federal agency responsible for protecting against invasive plant pests and animal diseases at all U.S. ports of entry, APHIS administers the AQI program and charges user fees to cover the costs associated with intercepting foreign agricultural pests and diseases that could adversely affect U.S. agriculture, trade, and the environment. The Commercial Aircraft fee under the AQI program is currently $300.78 while the International Air Passenger fee is $3.84. Both amounts are scheduled to increase beginning October 1, 2026. Acceptable forms of electronic payment beginning August 1, 2026, will include ACH, debit card, credit card, or PayPal payments through www.pay.gov.
This Aviation Regulatory Update is intended to keep readers current on developments in the law. It is not intended to be legal advice. If you have any questions or require additional information, please contact Evelyn D. Sahr at 202.659.6622 or esahr@eckertseamans.com; Drew M. Derco at 202.659.6665 or dderco@eckertseamans.com; Tyler R. Myers at 202.659.6642 or trmyers@eckertseamans.com; Xander B. Silva at 412.566.6069 or xsilva@eckertseamans.com, or any other attorney at Eckert Seamans with whom you have been working.
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