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Advanced Trade Finance & Special Customs Procedures

Duty Suspension

Also known as: Duty Deferral

Duty suspension, or deferral, refers to arrangements that postpone or hold in abeyance the payment of import duty while goods remain within a controlled customs status — for example in a bonded warehouse, a foreign trade zone, under an in-bond movement, or within a processing regime. By deferring duty until goods actually enter domestic commerce, or eliminating it entirely if they are re-exported, these mechanisms improve cash flow and support manufacturing and distribution strategies. Duty suspension is a unifying theme across many special customs procedures, all of which manage when, whether, and on what value duty ultimately becomes payable.

The JFS takeLicensed customs broker · Filer 82G

Temporary rate reductions for goods not made domestically, granted through a legislative process. Worth watching if you import a specialized input, and worth acting on early — the windows to petition are narrow and infrequent.

Related terms

Bonded WarehouseA bonded warehouse is a secure facility, authorized and supervised by the customs authority, in which imported goods may be stored without payment of duty for an extended period.Free Trade ZoneA Free Trade Zone — called a Foreign Trade Zone in the United States — is a designated area, legally treated as outside the customs territory of the host country, where imported goods may be stored, handled, assembled, or manufactured without immediate payment of duty.Inward ProcessingInward processing is a customs regime that allows a manufacturer to import raw materials or components without paying duty, provided the resulting finished or processed goods are subsequently exported.

Reviewed by a licensed customs broker. Definitions are general information, not legal or customs advice for a particular shipment. Duty rates, tariff programs and agency requirements change frequently.