2026-05080NoticeWallet

Foreign Shippers Face Annual Expense Reporting if Hitting US Port Thresholds

Published Date: 3/16/2026

Notice

Summary

The BE-29 survey asks U.S. agents of foreign ocean carriers to report their expenses in the U.S. if they handled 40+ port calls or spent $250,000+ in a year. This mandatory survey helps the government track trade in shipping services and understand its impact on the economy. Reports are due within 45 days after the calendar year ends, so get ready to share your numbers on time!

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 3 costs, 0 mixed.

Mandatory reporting for ocean‑carrier agents

If you are a U.S. agent for foreign ocean carriers and you handled 40 or more foreign carrier port calls in the year or had covered expenses of $250,000 or more, you must respond to the BE-29 survey. BEA will contact the U.S. persons required to report; those not contacted have no reporting responsibilities.

Annual deadline and filing options

Reports for the BE-29 survey are due 45 days after the end of each calendar year. You can file using BEA's electronic system at www.bea.gov/efile, or submit paper forms by mail or fax; BEA will mail specific reporting instructions to those required to complete the survey.

Estimated paperwork burden per response

BEA estimates the public reporting burden for the BE-29 survey averages 3 hours per response. The collection has OMB control number 0608-0012 under the Paperwork Reduction Act.

Your PRIA Score

Score Hidden

Personalized for You

How does this regulation affect your finances?

Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this federal register document and every other regulation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to start

Key Dates

Published Date
3/16/2026

Department and Agencies

Department
Independent Agency
Agency
Commerce Department
Economic Analysis Bureau
Source: View HTML

Related Federal Register Documents

Previous / Next Documents

Back to Federal Register

Take It Personal

Get Your Personalized Policy View

Start a Free Government Policy Watch to see how policy affects your household, then upgrade to PRIA Full Coverage for year-round monitoring.

Already have an account? Sign in