U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced tentative selections for new reimbursable services agreements that will promote cross-border trade and facilitate essential travel to the United States.
These public-private partnerships will allow approved private sector and state and local government entities to reimburse CBP for expanded services for incoming commercial and cargo traffic and international traveler arrivals in Arizona; California; Colorado; Florida; Georgia; Indiana; Louisiana; Maine; Michigan; Mississippi; Missouri; New Jersey; New York; Ohio; Puerto Rico; Texas; Utah; Virginia; and Washington.
“The Reimbursable Services Program is an essential facet of CBP’s resource optimization strategy,” said Pete Flores, Executive Assistant Commissioner for Field Operations. “By working with our private and public sector partners, CBP is able to maximize its resources and produce innovative, joint solutions that enhance our economic competitiveness.”
Since the Reimbursable Services Program began in 2013, CBP has expanded it to include 336 stakeholders. The program has provided more than 1.2 million additional processing hours at the request of CBP’s partners—accounting for the processing of more than 17.7 million travelers and more than 2.1 million personal and commercial vehicles.
Authorized by Section 481 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, reimbursable services agreements increase CBP’s ability to provide new or enhanced services on a reimbursable basis by creating partnerships with private sector and government entities. Reimbursable services under this authority include customs, agricultural processing, border security services, immigration inspections and support services at ports of entry.
The statute includes several limitations at CBP-serviced airports. Reimbursable services are limited to overtime costs and support services for airports with 100,000 or more arriving international passengers annually. Airports with fewer than 100,000 arriving international passengers annually may offset CBP for the salaries and expenses of not more than five full-time equivalent CBP officers. Reimbursable services agreements will not replace existing services.
The entities selected for reimbursable services agreements in the air environment were:
- Accufleet International Inc. (Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport);
- Atlas Air, Inc. (Indianapolis International Airport);
- Banyan Air Services, Inc. (Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport);
- BNT International Corporation (Oakland International Airport);
- Chouest Air Inc (Houma-Terrebonne Airport; and South Lafourche Airport);
- Delux Public Charter, LLC DBA JSX Air (Austin–Bergstrom International Airport; William P. Hobby Airport; Miami International Airport; and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport);
- FedEx Express (Rafael Hernández Airport);
- JDR Management LLC (Palm Beach International Airport; and Teterboro Airport);
- JetBlue Airways Corporation (John F. Kennedy International Airport);
- Kansas City Aviation Department (Kansas City International Airport);
- Mira Vista Aviation, Inc. (Bangor International Airport; Austin–Bergstrom International Airport; Republic Airport; Teterboro Airport; Westchester County Airport; Denver International Airport; Brown Field Municipal Airport; Salt Lake City International Airport; King County International Airport – Boeing Field; and Tampa International Airport);
- Occidental Petroleum Corporation (George Bush Intercontinental Airport);
- Springfield-Branson National Airport (Springfield-Branson National Airport);
- Tisma, Inc. (Teterboro Airport; and Westchester County Airport); and
- Turk Hava Yollari Anonim Ortakligi, Inc [Turkish Airlines] (Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport).
The entity selected for a reimbursable services agreement in the land environment was:
- Detroit International Bridge Company (Detroit, MI).
The entities selected for reimbursable services agreements in the sea environment were:
- Christian Bay Shipping Co. dba Fillette Green Shipping Services (USA) Corp (Port Canaveral, FL);
- Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority (Cleveland, OH);
- Nauticus (Norfolk, VA);
- San Diego Unified Port District (San Diego, CA); and
- Sea Hawk Marine Logistics LLC (Corpus Christi, TX; Galveston, TX; Houston, TX; Lake Charles, LA; Mobile, AL; Morgan City, LA; New Orleans, LA; and Pascagoula, MS).
CBP used a rigorous, multi-layered process to evaluate selectees’ proposals and ensure compatibility with CBP’s mission priorities.
The reimbursable services authority is a key component of CBP’s Resource Optimization Strategy, and will allow CBP to provide new or expanded services at domestic ports of entry reimbursed by the partner entity.
