WESTERN Australian exporters have been hit with a big jump in fees charged by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service as the agency seeks to achieve full cost recovery for the services it provides.
The increase in fees comes as official estimates from Canberra show a 24 per cent rise in WA exports during 2009 to $92 billion, largely on the back of increased gold and iron ore revenue.
However, small exporters are already feeling the pinch of higher AQIS fees for gaining export certification, which came into effect on December 1.
The cost of some certificates, such as phytosanitary certificates, needed to export some horticultural products such as grain and timber, has almost doubled from $30 to $51 per certificate.
Exporters have also been told that the cost of phytosanitary certificates will rise further to more than $80 by June 2011, when all federal rebates are finally phased out.
The increase follows an independent review of quarantine and biosecurity arrangements in 2008. It recommended ending a 40 per cent subsidy on the cost of gaining such certificates, which had been in place since 2001.