[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 29 (Monday, February 12, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9893-9894]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-3549]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Customs Service

[T.D. 01-19]


Revised Schedule of Navigation Fees

AGENCY: Customs Service, Treasury.

ACTION: General notice.

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SUMMARY: This document announces a revision to the schedule of 
navigation fees for specific services provided to vessels by Customs 
officers. The fees authorized to be collected represent reimbursement 
to the government for costs associated with providing specific services 
to private parties. The current fee schedule was last revised in 1985 
and does not reflect current salary and benefit costs and other 
appropriate costs and, therefore, does not effectively reimburse 
Customs for the services it provides vessels. Accordingly, the 
navigation fees are being revised to recover the full costs of 
providing services to vessels.

EFFECTIVE DATE: March 14, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: April Conti, Cost Management Staff, 
Office of Finance, U.S. Customs Service, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC, 20029, Tel. (202) 927-2014.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Customs provides certain services for vessels on a reimbursable 
basis. The specific services provided are delineated at Sec. 4.98 of 
the Customs Regulations (19 CFR 4.98). Section 214(b) of the Customs 
Procedural Reform and Simplification Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-410, 92 
Stat. 888, 19 U.S.C. 58a) authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to 
establish the schedule of fees, commonly referred to as ``navigation 
fees'', that Customs can charge and collect for these services. The 
fees are to be consistent with 31 U.S.C. 9701, which provides that the 
costs of specific services for private interests shall be reimbursed to 
the Government. The fees are calculated in accordance with the 
provisions of Sec. 24.17(d) of the Customs Regulations (19 CFR 
24.17(d)). The authority to establish the schedule of navigation fees 
was delegated by the Secretary of the Treasury to the Commissioner of 
Customs by Treasury Department Order No. 165, Revised (T.D. 53654).
    The current schedule of navigation fees was last revised by T.D. 
85-70 to reflect Federal pay increases, administrative overhead 
charges, and Medicare expenses at that time. Customs has not revised 
the schedule of navigation fees since that time to effectively recover 
the costs associated with subsequent increases in the rate of 
compensation paid to Customs officers performing a given service and 
other appropriate costs. Customs Office of Finance has recently 
conducted a review of the fees prescribed at Sec. 4.98 to determine if 
the current navigation fee schedule recovers the full costs of 
providing the services specified and found that it does not. 
Accordingly, it is necessary for Customs to revise the fee schedule as 
follows:

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   Fee No. and description of services      Current fee     Revised fee
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1. Entry of vessel, including American
 from a foreign port or from another
 U.S. port when transporting unentered
 foreign merchandise:
    (a) Less than 100 net tons..........           $9.00          $19.00
    (b) 100 net tons and over...........           18.00           37.00
2. Clearance of vessel, including
 American to a foreign port or to
 another U.S. port when transporting
 unentered foreign merchandise:
    (a) Less than 100 net tons..........            9.00           19.00
    (b) 100 net tons and over...........           18.00           37.00
    3. Issuing permit to foreign vessel            18.00           37.00
     to proceed from port to port, and
     receiving manifest.................
    4. Receiving manifest of foreign               18.00           37.00
     vessel on arrival from another
     port, and granting a permit to
     unlade.............................
    5. Receiving post entry.............            9.00           19.00
    6. Certifying payment of tonnage tax            4.50            9.00
     for foreign vessels only...........
    7. Furnishing copy of official                 18.00           37.00
     document, including certified
     outward foreign manifest, and
     others not elsewhere enumerated....
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[[Page 9894]]

    The fee schedule set forth in this document becomes effective 30 
days after its publication in the Federal Register and will remain in 
effect until further revised.

    Dated: February 7, 2001.
Charles W. Winwood,
Acting Commissioner of Customs.
[FR Doc. 01-3549 Filed 2-9-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4820-02-P