Licensed U.S. Customs House Brokerage855-888-0666 · www.jfschb.com
JFSCHB

Ports, Terminals & Transit

Port of Entry

Also known as: Customs Port, POE

A port of entry is a place — a seaport, airport, or land border crossing — officially designated by the customs authority where goods may lawfully enter a country and where customs and partner-agency officers are stationed to process and inspect them. The choice of entry port affects transit time, examination likelihood, and the availability of services, and imported goods must be formally entered or moved under bond to reach an interior destination. Designating the correct port and understanding its procedures is a basic step in planning a compliant, efficient importation.

The JFS takeLicensed customs broker · Filer 82G

File to the port where the goods actually arrived, not the one nearest your office. Importers assume the two are the same and they frequently are not — a parcel addressed to Alabama can be held at a mail facility in New York, and the entry follows the goods.

Where it matters for compliance

  • The port code on the entry must match where the goods are presented.

Related terms

Customs EntryA customs entry is the formal declaration an importer or its broker files with the customs authority to secure the release of imported goods and to account for the duties and taxes owed.In-Bond MovementAn in-bond movement allows imported goods to travel from the port of arrival to another customs location — for entry, examination, or export — without formal customs entry or payment of duty at the first port, the obligations being secured by a bond during transit.Customs ExaminationA customs examination is a physical or non-intrusive inspection of imported goods, ordered by the authorities to verify that a shipment matches its declaration in description, quantity, value, and origin, and that it complies with admissibility rules.

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.