Roosville port goes commercial

U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced Monday that the Port of Roosville will be upgraded from a permit port to a commercial port on November 1.

Roosville, located north of Eureka, will join Sweetgrass and Raymond as commercial ports in Montana.

Commercial cargo entering the United States on the northern border normally is required to enter at a commercial port, according to a news release from Customs and Border Protection. Commercial ports are equipped to process and examine a wide range of commodities.

If commercial merchandise goes through a non-commercial port, otherwise known as a permit port, importers must request and receive a permit from Customs and Border Protection.

The merchandise entered at permit ports would have to be delivered to and used by communities located near the permit port.

The Port of Roosville is a modern facility with equipment to scan trucks and a cargo facility for offloading and examining merchandise.

Roosville has approximately 580 active permits on file.

Converting Roosville to a commercial port will save Customs and Border Protection and the trade community time and money, according to the news release.

According to Ross Lyle, Great Falls Assistant Area Port Director for Trade, "It makes sense to upgrade Roosville because it is currently a 24-hour port with the staff, the equipment, and the facility to handle a significant increase in cargo volume and complexity at no additional cost to the government."