WASHINGTON — U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced recently that 33 tentative selections for new reimbursable services agreements that will promote cross-border trade and facilitate essential travel to the United States.
The Reimbursable Services Program allows private sector and state and local governments to reimburse the agency for additional inspection services that would not otherwise be available. Examples include services offered at remote locations or outside of typical port hours. Under the reimbursable services agreement, mandatory services such as customs, agricultural processing, border security services, immigration inspections, and support services at ports of entry can be expanded.
“The announcement represents a significant advancement in expanding critical services which promote cross-border trade and lawful travel to the United States,” said Acting Executive Assistant Commissioner Diane Sabatino. “These partnerships represent a “win-win” option; they not only help CBP to carry out its national security mission, but they also help private and public entities to develop new opportunities to expedite the legitimate flow of people and goods, which are vital to the U.S. economy.”
These public-private partnerships for expanded services include incoming commercial and cargo traffic and international traveler arrivals in Alabama; Arkansas; Arizona; California; Colorado; Connecticut; Florida; Georgia; Hawaii; Idaho; Illinois; Indiana; Louisiana; Massachusetts; Maine; Michigan; Minnesota; Missouri; Mississippi; Montana; North Carolina; Nebraska; New Hampshire; New Jersey; New Mexico; Nevada; New York; Ohio; Oklahoma; Pennsylvania; Puerto Rico; Rhode Island; Tennessee; Texas; Virginia; US Virgin Islands; Washington; Wisconsin.
Since the Reimbursable Services Program began in 2013, CBP has expanded it to include 608 stakeholders. The program has provided more than 1.65 million additional processing hours at the request of CBP’s partners, accounting for the processing of more than 21.8 million travelers and more than 2.4 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 passengers arriving annually. Airports with fewer than 100,000 international passengers arriving 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 are:
Aliya Aviation (Cincinnati Municipal Airport – Lunken Field)
Ascend Aircraft Management (Fulton County Airport; Bangor International Airport; Eppley Airfield; William P. Hobby Airport; Palm Beach International Airport; Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport; Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport; Memphis International Airport)
Bohlke LLC (Miami Executive Airport; Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport; Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport; Cyril E. King International Airport; Henry E. Rohlsen Airport; Rafael Hernández Airport; Jose Aponte de la Torre Airport; Mercedita International Airport; Tampa International Airport; Orlando International Airport)
Bravo-Fox, LLC (Fulton County Airport)
Consultants Group, LLC (Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport)
FliteAccess, LLC (Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport; Indianapolis International Airport; Gerald R. Ford International Airport; Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport; Nashville International Airport; Teterboro Airport; Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport)
GBL, LLC (St. Paul Downtown Airport)
GP Aviation Services LLC (Portsmouth International Airport at Pease; Portland International Jetport; Westchester County Airport; Teterboro Airport)
Hamilton County Airport Authority (Indianapolis Executive Airport; Indianapolis Executive Airport)
Iberia Parish Airport Authority (Acadiana Regional Airport)
JetRight Aerospace Holdings, LLC (Nashville International Airport)
KaiserAir Inc (Washington Dulles International Airport; Buffalo Niagara International Airport; Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport; Los Angeles International Airport; Newark Liberty International Airport; Teterboro Airport; Denver International Airport; Oakland International Airport; Reno-Tahoe International Airport; San Jose International Airport; Kona International Airport; Sacramento International Airport; Great Falls International Airport; King County International Airport – Boeing Field)
Koury Aviation, Inc (Wilmington International Airport; Piedmont Triad International Airport; Raleigh–Durham International Airport)
Metropolitan Airport Authority of Rock Island County, Illinois (Quad Cities International Airport)
Metropolitan Airports Commission (Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport)
Morningstar Partners Ltd. dba Aurora Jet Partners (Los Angeles International Airport; Nashville International Airport; Sacramento International Airport; Kahului Airport)
New Hanover County Airport Authority dba Wilmington International Airport (Wilmington International Airport)
Old English Field, LLC dba Haven FBO (Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport)
Pacific Marine Logistics, Inc (Spirit of St. Louis Airport; Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport; Boise International Airport; Kahului Airport; Kona International Airport; Reno-Tahoe International Airport; Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport)
Parallel Express, Inc (Philadelphia International Airport; Boston Logan International Airport; Buffalo Niagara International Airport; General Mitchell International Airport; Cleveland Hopkins International Airport; Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport; John F. Kennedy International Airport)
Philippine Airlines, Inc (Seattle–Tacoma International Airport)
Sanford-Lee County Regional Airport Authority (Raleigh Executive Jetport)
Swissport USA, Inc. (Seattle–Tacoma International Airport)
Ventura Air Services, Inc. (Raleigh–Durham International Airport; Pittsburgh International Airport; Harry Reid International Airport; Los Angeles International Airport; Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport; Nashville International Airport; Republic Airport; Denver International Airport; Jacksonville International Airport)
Voice of the Covenant Church, Inc. dba Jesse Duplantis Ministries (Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport)
Yampa LLC (New Orleans Lakefront Airport)
The entities selected for reimbursable services agreements in the sea environment were:
Hirth Ship Agencies, Inc (Panama City, FL)
Lott Ship Agency, Inc. (Mobile, AL; Gulfport, MS; Pascagoula, MS; Pensacola, FL; Panama City, FL)
New England Shipping Company, Inc (Providence, RI; New Haven, CT)
Valhalla Ship Agency LLC (Port Arthur, TX; Beaumont, TX; Houston, TX; Lake Charles, LA; Mobile, AL; New Orleans, LA; Panama City, FL; Tampa, FL; Port Manatee, FL)
Watco Transloading LLC (Houston, TX)
The entity selected for reimbursable services agreements in both the air and the land environment was:
General Motors LLC (Ysleta Border Crossing, El Paso, TX; Eagle Pass, TX; Laredo, TX – World Trade Bridge; Laredo, TX – Columbia Solidarity Bridge; El Paso International Airport; Will Rogers World Airport; Del Rio International Airport; Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport; Shreveport Regional Airport)
The entity selected for reimbursable services agreements in both the air and the sea environment are:
SEA.O.G Offshore, LLC (Providence, RI; New Bedford, MA; Houston, TX; Galveston, TX; Brownsville, TX (Sea); New Orleans, LA; Morgan City, LA; Port Fourchon, LA; Quonset State Airport; Houma-Terrebonne Airport)
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.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
