Book Description

America¿s port infrastructure is vital to U.S. foreign trade and a bulwark for national security. One way the fed. gov¿t. funds port-related programs is to levy user fees. This report examines: (1) what is known about the way selected fees assessed on air and sea port users are set, collected, used, and reviewed; and (2) the effects of these attributes on program operations. The author examined the Harbor Maintenance Fee, the Merchandise Processing Fee, and the Customs, Immigration, and Agricultural Quarantine Inspection User Fees assessed on air and cruise passengers and commercial vessels using criteria that have often been used to assess user fees and taxes -- equity, efficiency, revenue adequacy, and administrative burden. Charts and tables.