Bonded Warehouse
Hold your goods in bond, pay duties on your schedule.
A CBP-bonded warehouse lets you hold imported goods without paying duties or taxes until they're withdrawn for US commerce. While in bond, goods can also be manipulated, repackaged, or re-exported completely duty-free — a good fit for seasonal importers and distributors managing cash flow.
Types of Bonded Warehouses
CBP recognizes 9 types of bonded warehouses. Type 1 (private) is for the proprietor's own goods, Type 2 (public) accepts goods from any importer, Type 3 covers duty-free stores, and Type 8 covers manufacturing. We work with Type 1, 2, and 8 facilities at major US ports.
Duty Deferral Benefits
Goods may sit in a bonded warehouse for up to 5 years. Duties are due only when you withdraw goods for US consumption, not when they arrive — which protects cash flow and lowers financial risk on inventory that moves slowly.
Manipulation & Repackaging
While goods are in bond, they can be cleaned, sorted, repackaged, relabeled, or combined with domestic products. That means you can get goods retail-ready without paying duty on any portion headed back out for re-export.
Foreign Trade Zone Comparison
Foreign Trade Zones offer comparable duty deferral under a different rule set — goods can be manufactured or assembled there, and importers can elect the duty rate of either the input materials or the finished product. We'll help you decide whether a bonded warehouse or an FTZ suits your operation better.
How It Works
- Goods arrive at the bonded facility under a CBP bond
- Storage runs duty- and tax-free for up to 5 years
- Manipulation or repackaging is carried out as needed
- Duties become due only when goods are withdrawn into US commerce
- If applicable, we coordinate a duty-free re-export
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Request a free, no-obligation quote for bonded warehouse.