Long Beach Port Cargo Fee Imposition Looms, After Failed Postponement

The Long Beach Port Commission failed to postpone the Infrastructure Cargo Fee (ICF) during a Nov. 4 commission vote that resulted in a 2-2 failure to proceed, confirmed Long Beach Port spokesman Lee Peterson. The motion voted on would have postponed the fee until Jan. 1, 2016. The fifth Long Beach Port Commissioner was not present to vote. The fee is set to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2014, potentially hiking port usage rates for importers and exporters.

"There was no state of support for actually charging the fee,” said Peterson. “There was support expressed for postponing the fee and canceling it all together. The fee itself is set to go into effect in 2014, but the commission has to set a level. By default, if the commission is not able to meet it will go into effect, but if you don’t see a level, hypothetically nothing will be charged.” Peterson said the commission will have to approve a motion that sets a specific fee level.

Long Beach Port Commissioners first approved the Infrastructure Cargo Fee on Jan. 1, 2009, charging cargo owners $15 per container, according to the Long Beach Press Telegram (here). The fee has since been repeatedly postponed, never actually taking effect, said Peterson. “We’ve never charged the ICF here at the Port of Long Beach. We have always postponed it as need be,” said Peterson. The commission intends to vote on an ICF-related motion during an upcoming meeting, said Peterson.