Why You May Notice Different Fees on Your Invoice
Just in time for the upcoming holiday season, U.S. Customs and Borders Protection is modifying their fee structure on cargo. The new Merchandise Processing Fees, first announced on August 1st, 2022, will enter into effect on October 1st, 2022. Keep in mind that duty-free imports are not exempt from paying these fees.
As part of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act of 2015, the Secretary of the Treasury was given the power to adjust Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) fees in accordance with inflation. This decision is made by comparing the average Consumer Price Index from the previous year. If there is an increase of more than one percent, the COBRA fees must be changed, accordingly. These fee increases represent a small percentage of the whole, however, it is important to factor them in while budgeting and preparing calculations for shipments.
Notable Fee Changes
The full list of COBRA related fees is available at the Federal Register. For ease of use, we’ve highlighted a few of the fees you are most likely to encounter.
Important to note is the Merchandise Processing Fee rate will not change; it remains at 0.3464% of the cargo value. However, both the minimum and maximum have increased slightly. From the U.S. Customs and Border Protection notice, “The minimum will change from $27.75 to $29.66; and the maximum will change from $538.40 to $575.35.”
- The Surcharge for Manual Entry/Release (class code 500) will change to $3.56
- The Dutiable Mail fee (class code 496) will change to $6.52
- The Commercial Vessel or Commercial Aircraft Passenger Arrival customs fee will change to $6.52 per passenger. Also, the Commercial Vessel Passenger Arrival (from exempt areas) customs fee will change to $2.29 per passenger.
- The Commercial Truck Arrival fee will change to $6.50. The total single crossing fee will be $14.05, as the Commercial Truck Arrival Fee does not include inspection service fees (which are currently $7.55).
Are Any Imports Exempt from Merchandise Processing Fees?
While we mentioned that just because an import is duty-free that does not mean it is exempt from Merchandise Processing Fees (MPF), there are certain Free Trade Agreements that will waive the MPF. For example, the current Free Trade Agreement with Israel provides an exemption. Sheltered International will be able to help you work through and understand whether MPF will apply to your shipment.
How SiShips Gives You the Advantage
Sheltered International combines expertise with state of the art software to bring you the highest quality domestic and international shipping solutions. With the world constantly changing, SiShips puts the shipper in control, offering efficient and cost effective ways to ship your product.
To learn more about Merchandise Processing Fees and possible exemptions, or to view a demo of our software, contact us today.
