**GAO-08-321**                      Published: Feb 22, 2008. Publicly Released: Mar 24, 2008.                  

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## Highlights

America's port infrastructure is vital to U.S. foreign trade and a bulwark for national security. One way the federal government funds port-related programs is to levy user fees. GAO was asked to examine (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. GAO examined the Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF), the Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF), and the Customs, Immigration, and Agricultural Quarantine Inspection (AQI) 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.

## Recommendations

## Matter for Congressional Consideration

## Recommendations for Executive Action

See All 16 Recommendations

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## Topics

Auditing and Financial Management

Administrative costsAirportsCost effectiveness analysisFederal fundsFeesFinancial analysisFinancial managementHomeland securityInteragency relationsNoncompliancePort securityProgram managementRatesSchedule slippagesUser feesProgram costs