Customs Bonded Warehouse in Canada and USA.

A customs bonded warehouse is a secured facility licensed by CBP in the United States or CBSA in Canada where imported goods are stored without paying duties and taxes. Duty is paid only when goods are released into the domestic market, and goods that are re-exported pay no duty.

The application goes to CBP, which reviews the business, runs background checks and inspects the site, and the operator must post a custodial bond. MAZE prepares the full application, the procedures and the bond for you.

Goods can remain in a US customs bonded warehouse for up to five years from the date of importation. Duty is paid only on goods withdrawn for consumption in the United States.

A container freight station is a CBP-approved facility where containerized import cargo is unloaded, deconsolidated and held for CBP release or examination. CFS operators must be bonded under a custodial bond.

A bonded warehouse is for storing and handling imported goods with duty deferred, for up to five years. A CFS is for devanning and deconsolidating containers so the cargo can be released or examined, usually for a short time.

A custodial bond is the CBP bond for custodians of bonded merchandise, including bonded warehouse proprietors, container freight stations and bonded carriers. It guarantees that goods in your care are handled according to CBP rules.

Yes. Most of our clients start with an existing building. We assess it, plan the secure in-bond area and the other changes customs requires, and then prepare the application.

Both defer US duty, but a bonded warehouse limits storage to five years and allows only limited handling, while a foreign-trade zone has no time limit and allows manufacturing. FTZs are approved by the Foreign-Trade Zones Board; bonded warehouses are approved by CBP.

Yes. Most bonded warehouses, container freight stations and sufferance warehouses are run by 3PLs, freight forwarders and carriers. A public bonded warehouse stores goods for many importers, which makes it a good fit for a 3PL.

They do a similar job in different countries. A US container freight station is licensed by CBP to devan, deconsolidate and hold containerized cargo until release. A Canadian sufferance warehouse is licensed by CBSA to hold imported goods for a short time until they are released or exported.

Both defer duty until goods are released. A US bonded warehouse is licensed by CBP and goods can stay up to five years. A Canadian customs bonded warehouse is licensed by CBSA, defers duties and GST/HST, and goods can generally stay up to four years.

A foreign-trade zone is a secure site in the United States that is treated as outside US customs territory for duty purposes. Goods can be stored, assembled or manufactured there with duty paid only when they enter the US market, and no US duty on goods that are re-exported.

Companies usually work through the local FTZ grantee to apply to the US Foreign-Trade Zones Board for a site or subzone. Once approved, CBP must activate the zone, and the operator needs an inventory control system and an FTZ operator bond. MAZE helps with each step.

A sufferance warehouse is a privately operated facility licensed by CBSA to hold imported goods in bond for a short time until they are released or exported. Types include highway, air, marine, rail and third-party (consolidator or freight forwarder) warehouses.

A sufferance warehouse holds goods for a short time before customs release. A customs bonded warehouse stores goods for the long term, generally up to four years, with duties and taxes deferred until the goods are released or exported.

Applications are made to CBSA with site plans and supporting documents, and CBSA reviews the business and the site. Incomplete applications are rejected, so MAZE prepares the full application for you. CBSA aims to decide on sufferance applications within 60 business days of a complete application.

For a customs bonded warehouse, security is set at 60% of the duties and taxes that would otherwise be payable in the year. For a sufferance warehouse it is $1,000 per 1,000 shipments a year, with a minimum of $20,000 per warehouse.

CBSA looks for a demonstrated need in the area, a site close to major transport routes and a CBSA office, and a building with a separate secure area for in-bond goods, an exterior freight door, an office and exam area where required, and records kept for six years. Owners must be of good character and financially sound.

Yes. We arrange USD 25,000 highway carrier bonds for the United States and CAD 25,000 highway carrier bonds for Canada, as well as US custodial bonds for bonded warehouses and container freight stations.

It depends on the country, the type of licence, the work your building needs and the bond or security amount. Call +1-888-315-6293 for a quote based on your facility.

It depends on how ready your building and records are. In Canada, CBSA aims to decide a complete sufferance warehouse application within 60 business days. US applications to CBP include background checks and a site inspection. Plan for a few months from first assessment to licence.

In a US or Canadian bonded warehouse, duty is paid only when goods are released for the domestic market, and not at all on goods that are re-exported. In a CFS or sufferance warehouse, duty is paid at entry and release, because these facilities hold goods only for a short time.

Goods can generally stay in a Canadian customs bonded warehouse for up to four years, with some exceptions such as five years for beer and wine. Goods in a sufferance warehouse stay only for a short time, until they are released or exported.

Choose a bonded warehouse if you want to store imported goods long term with duty deferred. Choose a container freight station if you handle import containers near a US port or airport. Choose a sufferance warehouse if you are a carrier, forwarder or 3PL holding goods in Canada until customs release. MAZE helps you pick the right licence.