Port fee questions still unanswered even as CBP unveils payment plan
- Customs and Border Protection declares it is up to the ship operator to determine the amount of the fees, ‘not CBP’
- Latest USTR communication is from June and refers to ‘proposed actions’, implying that more guidance from the USTR is still forthcoming
- Vessels en route to the US that arrive on or after October 14 will be unable to load or unload if they don’t pay required fees, even as operators await more clarity on exemptions
The shipping industry has been expecting more guidance on the nuts and bolts of the USTR port fee process. It now finds itself in a situation where it must determine its own fees, even as its questions have yet to be addressed. The fee rollout looks like it will be messy
