FSMA requires that the fees be based on an estimate of 100 percent of the costs of the program. These include the costs of reviewing an anticipated 200 applications; the costs of conducting inspections of importers (both foreign and domestic) accepted into the program; and the annual Information Technology (IT) maintenance costs. A June 2015 Federal Register notice projected a preliminary estimate of $16,400 as the user fee to be paid by each VQIP participant in the first year of the program. This estimate was based in part on the significant cost of conducting inspections; inspection hourly rates are established for each Fiscal Year and adjusted for inflation. For reference, the Domestic and Foreign Facility Reinspection, Recall, and Importer Reinspection Fee Rates for Fiscal Year 2018 established a general hourly rate of $231, a domestic hourly rate of $248, and a foreign hourly rate of $285.
