New reimbursable services agreements will help promote cross-border trade and facilitate essential travel
WASHINGTON— U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced today 15 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 Delaware; Florida; Georgia; Minnesota; New Jersey; New Mexico; New York; Pennsylvania; Texas; and Washington.
“CBP is committed to working with our private sector partners to implement innovative solutions that enhance America’s economic security,” said William Ferrara, Executive Assistant Commissioner of the CBP Office of Field Operations. “These reimbursable services agreements will allow CBP to support requests for new or expanded services and enhance our ability to facilitate lawful trade and travel.”
Since the Reimbursable Services Program began in 2013, CBP has expanded it to include 227 stakeholders. The program has provided more than 824,000 additional processing hours at the request of CBP’s partners—accounting for the processing of more than 14.4 million travelers and more than 1.9 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 tentatively selected for new reimbursable services agreements in the air environment were:
- Air Ambulance Worldwide (St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport);
- City of San Antonio Aviation (San Antonio International Airport);
- Classic Services Inc, LLC (Philadelphia International Airport);
- Dumont Aircraft Charter, LLC dba Dumont Jets (Wilmington Airport, DE);
- Hawthorne Global Aviation Services (Cobb County International Airport);
- Phillips 66 (George Bush Intercontinental Airport);
- Prior Aviation Service Inc. (Buffalo Niagara International Airport);
- Savannah Airport Commission (Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport);
- Singapore Airlines Limited (Seattle-Tacoma International Airport);
- Sun Country, Inc. DBA Sun Country Airlines (Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport);
- Virgin Atlantic Airways (Seattle-Tacoma International Airport); and
- Waste Connections, Inc. (George Bush Intercontinental Airport).
The entity selected for a new reimbursable services agreement in the land environment was:
- Santa Teresa International Export/Import Livestock Crossing (Santa Teresa, NM).
The entities selected for a new reimbursable services agreements in the sea environment were:
- Georgia Ports Authority (Savannah, GA); and
- H & M International Transportation, Inc. (Port of New York and New Jersey).
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.