Frequently Asked Questions
Not seeing your question here? Contact us today! We’re ready to assist you.
That means you did the right thing and got a customs bond! In short, a bonded shipment means your goods are covered for customs charges, including all duties, taxes and any penalties that may occur during the import process.
When you are shipping goods in-bond, that means your products are moving within the United States, but are still waiting on official customs clearance from Customs before the goods can officially be sold. Customs Brokers can help your goods obtain official approval from CBP.
Import bonds are used by Customs Brokers to clear goods. The bond is critical because it:
- Contains a unique bond number tied to your company’s importer number (Tax ID)
- Is valid at all U.S. port of entry
- Remains tied to all importing documents filed for your goods
Yes, there are many different types of customs bonds, used for a variety of situations. Each type of bond is labeled with a different Activity Code.
- Activity Code 1 - Import Bond
- Activity Code 1a - Drawback Payment Refunds Bond
- Activity Code 2 - Custodian of Bonded Merchandise Bond
- Activity Code 3 - International Carrier Bond
- Activity Code 3a - Instruments of International Traffic
- Activity Code 4 - Foreign Trade Zone Bond
- Activity Code 11 - Airport Security Bond
- Activity Code 16 - Importer Security Filing Bond