U.S. Denies Upgraded Status for Local Port : Economy: The Customs Service commissioner says the Port of Hueneme lacks sufficient traffic to justify the change. But her offer to help encourages officials.

The head of the U.S. Customs Service said Tuesday that the Port of Hueneme is not big enough to warrant official port of entry status, which port officials believe would bring a significant increase in world trade to the area.

In a meeting with the port’s director and congressional representatives, U.S. Customs Commissioner Carol Hallett said the port falls short of shipping traffic and other requirements to become a port of entry with a staff of Customs agents and other federal authorities.

But Hallett expressed support for the port’s expansion plans and instructed the port director to call her office in Washington if Customs agents in Los Angeles fail to cooperate in efforts to attract additional shipping.

“She told us that the Customs Service is not going to be a stumbling block to our plans to broaden our base,” said Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley), who arranged the meeting in his Washington office. “This has been one of the most optimistic signs in a long time.”

Since it began commercial operations in 1961, the Port of Hueneme has been dwarfed by the massive ports at Los Angeles and Long Beach. For the last decade, it has sought to be more competitive by being designated a port of entry.

Such a designation would require the Customs Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service to provide sufficient on-site staff to approve nearly any type of foreign cargo destined for the port.

The Port of Hueneme now has one Customs agent who operates a satellite office under the service’s Los Angeles District. Additional Customs agents visit the Port of Hueneme when they are needed and available.

“When we are trying to attract cargo to the port, we have to assure the shipper that the vessel can obtain all of the federal clearances,” said Edward J. Millan, president of the port Board of Commissioners.

“Sometimes Customs in Los Angeles says, ‘Yeah, we can do it.’ Other times, they say, ‘No, we don’t have the people.’ ” If his staff cannot assure new customers of quick federal handling, Millan said, the vessels are forced to go to Los Angeles or Long Beach.

Both the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports have grown so crowded that Port of Hueneme authorities believe that they are poised to capture a significant increase in world trade with Southern California--if they can work out federal clearance procedures. The Port of Hueneme is the only deep-water commercial port between Long Beach and San Francisco.

Anthony J. Taormina, port director, said he was encouraged by Hallett’s support. Also at the meeting were representatives from the offices of Rep. Robert J. Lagomarsino (R-Ventura) and Sen. Pete Wilson (R-Calif.), the governor-elect.

Taormina said he plans to invoke Hallett’s name in an ongoing effort to attract vessels importing fresh fruit during the off-season from Chile and other South American countries. “The test will be when that first request goes in,” he said.

He said he intends to meet with agriculture department officials to win similar commitments for speedy handling of requests. “If this works, we will be acting and operating as a port of entry without the official designation,” he said.

Under current Customs regulations, ports of entry must have at least 350 arrivals of cargo vessels and 2,500 Customs entries every year. Taormina said the port fell short last year with 770 Customs entries and 192 vessel arrivals.

The port--used to export citrus and import bananas, Mazdas, Jaguars and other automobiles--benefits Ventura County by about $200 million a year, Taormina said. “If we double our shipments, we can double our economic benefits to the area,” he said.

Millan expressed disappointment that the port did not get official port of entry status Tuesday. The port came extremely close in 1980 to winning the designation, falling short of the number of vessel arrivals required.

“It has been the same story all along,” he said. “We never seem to meet the criteria.”