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Parties, Roles & Instruments

Surety / Customs Bond

Also known as: Customs Bond, Import Bond

A customs bond is a financial guarantee, typically underwritten by a surety company, that secures an importer's obligation to pay all duties, taxes, and penalties that may become due and to comply with customs laws and regulations. It protects the government's revenue by ensuring that funds are available even if the importer cannot pay, and most countries require a bond as a precondition of formal entry. Bonds may be single-entry, covering one shipment, or continuous, covering all of an importer's entries over a period, and the surety that issues the bond stands behind the importer's obligations to the customs authority.

The JFS takeLicensed customs broker · Filer 82G

The bond guarantees CBP that duties and penalties will be paid. It protects the government, not you. A single transaction bond suits a one-off; a continuous bond is for regular importing and is sized on annual duty. Undersizing it means a rejected entry and a lost day, so we size on the high case.

Where it matters for compliance

  • Formal entry requires a bond, with narrow exceptions at 19 CFR § 142.4(b) that will not apply to you. STB amounts are generally value plus duties, taxes and fees, and higher where an agency requirement is involved.
  • Liquidated damages for ISF and other failures are assessed against the bond.

Related terms

Importer of RecordThe importer of record is the party legally responsible for ensuring that imported goods are declared accurately, valued correctly, and admitted in compliance with all applicable laws, and for paying the duties, taxes, and fees that result.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.LiquidationLiquidation is the final step in the customs entry process, the point at which the customs authority reviews the importer's declaration and makes its conclusive assessment of the duties, taxes, and fees owed on a shipment.

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.