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Advanced Trade Finance & Special Customs Procedures

Temporary Importation Under Bond

Also known as: TIB

Temporary importation under bond is a customs procedure that permits certain goods to enter a country without payment of duty, on the condition that they are re-exported or destroyed within a specified period, with a bond securing the importer's obligation to do so. It is used for items brought in temporarily for repair, testing, processing, exhibition, or use in a project, where charging full duty on goods that will not remain in the country would be inappropriate. If the goods are not exported in time, the duty and often a penalty become due, so importers must track and document the required re-export closely.

The JFS takeLicensed customs broker · Filer 82G

The U.S. route for goods coming in temporarily where a carnet does not fit: no duty, but a bond and a firm deadline. Extensions exist and are not automatic. The failure mode is quiet — nobody exports the goods, nobody notices, and liquidated damages arrive later at a multiple of the duty that was avoided.

Where it matters for compliance

  • Goods must be exported or destroyed within the bond period; extensions must be requested before expiry.
  • Liquidated damages for failure to export are typically a multiple of the duty.
  • TIB goods may not be sold in the United States.

Related terms

ATA CarnetAn ATA Carnet is an international customs document that allows goods to be temporarily imported into participating countries without paying duties or taxes, functioning as a passport for merchandise such as commercial samples, professional equipment, and goods for trade fairs and exhibitions.Duty SuspensionDuty 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.Surety / Customs BondA 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.

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.