Import Bond Guide: When You Need One and How to Get It

If you are importing goods into the United States for the first time, the customs bond requirement will probably catch you off guard. It is not something most people think about until a freight forwarder or customs broker mentions it, usually at the last minute when your shipment is already on the water. Understanding what a customs bond is, when you need one, and how to get one before your goods arrive saves both money and stress.

What a Customs Bond Actually Is

A customs bond is a financial guarantee between you, an insurance company, and US Customs and Border Protection. In formal terms, you are the principal, the insurance company is the surety, and CBP is the obligee. The bond guarantees that you will pay all duties, taxes, and fees owed on your imports and comply with all applicable customs regulations. If you fail to pay, CBP can claim against the bond — the surety pays CBP and then comes after you for reimbursement.

Think of it as a security deposit on your importing activity. The government is not going to let a container of goods into the country without some assurance that the importer will fulfill their financial obligations. The bond provides that assurance.

The bond amount is typically set at the greater of 50,000 dollars or 10 percent of the duties, taxes, and fees you paid in the previous year. For most small importers, the 50,000 dollar minimum applies. This does not mean you pay 50,000 dollars for the bond — it means the bond covers up to 50,000 dollars in potential liability. The actual cost of purchasing the bond is a fraction of the coverage amount.

When You Need a Bond

The 2,500 Dollar Rule

The general rule is simple: if your shipment is valued at 2,500 dollars or more, you need a customs bond for formal entry into the United States. Shipments valued under 2,500 dollars can be processed as informal entries without a bond, which is why small personal purchases from overseas rarely trigger bond requirements.

However, several categories of goods require a bond regardless of value. Any shipment containing items regulated by the FDA — food, drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, dietary supplements — requires a formal entry with a bond even if the shipment value is five dollars. The same applies to goods subject to quotas (certain textiles and agricultural products), items covered by anti-dumping or countervailing duties, and goods requiring other government agency review such as USDA, EPA, or CPSC regulated products.

In practice, most commercial importers need a bond because either their shipment values exceed 2,500 dollars or their products fall under one of the regulatory categories that mandate formal entry.

ISF Bond Requirement

There is a separate bond requirement related to the Importer Security Filing, commonly known as ISF or the 10+2 rule. For ocean freight shipments, you must file an ISF at least 24 hours before the goods are loaded onto the vessel at the foreign port. This filing requires either a separate ISF bond or a continuous bond that covers ISF liability. Failure to file ISF on time results in penalties of 5,000 to 10,000 dollars per violation — the bond does not prevent the penalty, but it ensures you can pay it if CBP assesses one.

Single Entry vs Continuous Bond

You have two options: a single entry bond that covers one specific shipment, or a continuous bond that covers all your imports for a 12-month period.

A single entry bond costs roughly 3 to 15 percent of the bond amount, depending on the type of goods and the surety company's risk assessment. For a 50,000 dollar bond on a standard goods shipment, expect to pay 150 to 500 dollars. The bond expires after that one shipment clears customs.

A continuous bond covers every import you make during a one-year period. The annual premium runs 400 to 800 dollars for the standard 50,000 dollar bond amount. The math is obvious: if you import more than two or three shipments per year, a continuous bond is cheaper than buying single entry bonds each time.

Most importers who ship regularly choose the continuous bond. It simplifies logistics because you do not have to arrange bond coverage for each individual shipment, and it covers your ISF filing obligations as well. The bond renews annually, and most surety companies auto-renew unless you cancel.

How to Get a Bond

Getting a customs bond is straightforward and usually takes one to three business days. You have two main paths.

The most common approach is to get a bond through your customs broker. If you are using a licensed customs broker to handle your entries — and most importers do — the broker can arrange your bond through their surety company relationships. This is the easiest option because the broker handles the paperwork and ensures the bond is in place before your shipment arrives. Most brokers add a small service fee on top of the bond premium.

The second option is to purchase the bond directly from a surety company. Companies like Roanoke Trade, Avalon Risk Management, and TRG (Trade Risk Guaranty) sell customs bonds directly to importers online. The application process typically involves providing your business information, Employer Identification Number, the type of goods you import, your estimated annual import value, and your customs broker information if applicable. Approval is usually quick unless your business has credit issues or you are importing high-risk goods.

Common Mistakes That Cost Money

The most expensive mistake new importers make is not having a bond in place when their shipment arrives at the port. If your container reaches the US without a valid bond on file, it sits in the port — accruing daily demurrage and detention charges that can run 150 to 300 dollars per day — while you scramble to get a bond issued. A rush bond costs more than a standard one, and the storage fees alone can easily exceed the bond premium.

The second mistake is choosing a single entry bond when a continuous bond makes more financial sense. If you import irregularly but have three or four shipments per year, the continuous bond pays for itself and eliminates the risk of a shipment arriving without coverage.

Third, some importers underestimate their duty liability and purchase a bond with insufficient coverage. If your actual duties exceed the bond amount, CBP can demand additional security or hold your goods until the bond is increased. Your customs broker should review your product classification and duty rates to recommend the appropriate bond amount.

For businesses managing regular imports, platforms like atoship that integrate with customs documentation workflows can help ensure your bond status, customs entries, and ISF filings are all coordinated before your shipments arrive at port.