What is a US customs surety bond?

The customs surety bond is a contractual agreement between the Importer of record, the Bond Surety Company, and US Customs. Customs Bonds facilitate faster Customs clearance because they guarantee the US Customs will be immediately paid if any additional import duties, taxes or fees need to be assessed. This allows the US Customs to clear the shipment without having to wait for the Importer to submit payment. If there is a failure by the importer of record to pay any duties or taxes, US Customs will file a claim on the bond with the surety company and collect from the bond. The Surety company will then attempt to collect from the import of record.

Customs Bonds are available as Single-Entry bonds, which cover individual shipments, or as Annual/Continuous Customs Bonds, which cover all shipments over a 12-month period. Customs Bonds are required by US customs for all commercial imports valued at $2500 or more, even if a shipment is duty-free.

If you do not have an annual bond in place the Customs Surety bond is NOT included in your rate quote and will be billed additionally along with the applicable duties and taxes at the time of arrival to the destination port.