Customs & ISF
Your entries, ISF and bonds are prepared and filed by licensed customs broker partners. We collect the documents, keep an eye on the deadlines and make sure nothing sits waiting on a missing invoice.
The ISF clock
ISF (Importer Security Filing, often called 10+2) applies to ocean shipments coming into the US. It has to be filed at least 24 hours before the cargo is loaded onto the vessel at the foreign port. Not before it sails. Before it's loaded.
Booking confirmed
Ask your supplier for the ISF data: seller, buyer, manufacturer, ship-to, country of origin, HTS numbers, and where the container is stuffed.
Data to us
We pass it to the broker partner and check what's missing.
ISF filed
The broker files it with CBP.
24 hours before loading
File byLast moment the filing can be on time.
Vessel loads at origin
Late after this point.
Late, wrong or missing ISF filings can bring liquidated damages from CBP of up to US$5,000 per violation, plus holds and exams. That risk sits with the importer, not with us or the broker. Get the data to us as soon as the booking's confirmed which is the simplest way to avoid it.
What we charge
- Customs entry coordination$165 per entry, up to 3 HTS lines
- Each extra HTS line$8
- ISF 10+2 filing$55 per filing
- Single-entry bondfrom $75
- Annual continuous bondfrom $425/year
Bond prices are passed through from the surety and depend on your expected duties.
Indicative prices. Your written quote is what counts. Rates updated October 2026. Fees as published; government fees are passed through at cost.
Government fees, passed through at cost
These go to the US government, not to us. They're shown on your invoice exactly as assessed.
- Dutiesset by the HTS classification and the goods' value and origin. Can be zero, can be a lot.
- MPF (Merchandise Processing Fee)for formal entries, 0.3464% of the goods' value, with a minimum of $34.58 and a maximum of $670.86 per entry. These are the fiscal year 2027 figures, in effect from October 1, 2026.
- HMF (Harbor Maintenance Fee)0.125% of the goods' value, on ocean shipments only.
Figures change each fiscal year. CBP publishes the current ones. cbp.gov
Documents the broker needs
- Commercial invoice: seller, buyer, description, quantity, unit price, currency, Incoterm
- Packing list: cartons, weights, dimensions
- Bill of lading or air waybill
- HTS numbers for each item (your supplier may have them; the broker can advise)
- Importer of record details: name, address, IRS or CBP number
- Power of attorney for the broker (they'll send you the form)
- Any permits or certificates your goods need (food, plants, some electronics)
The part that stays yours
The importer of record is responsible for the classification, value and origin declared to CBP, and for paying duties and fees. If you're unsure how something should be classified, the broker partner can advise you directly. We don't classify goods, and nobody can promise a particular duty rate or that a shipment won't be examined.
What we need from you
- The documents above, as early as you have them
- Whether you already hold a continuous bond
- Arrival port and estimated arrival date
Entries, ISF and bonds: licensed customs broker partners. Coordination and documents: us. Duties and fees: paid by the importer, passed through at cost.
| Task | Done by |
|---|---|
| Quote, booking, coordination, paperwork chasing | We✓Us |
| Packing, crating, palletizing | PackersOur packers or a partner crating shop near the cargo (named in your quote) |
| Ocean carriage | CarrierLicensed ocean carriers and FMC-licensed forwarders |
| Air carriage | AirlineAirlines, booked through air freight forwarder partners |
| ISF, customs entries, bonds | Broker partnerLicensed customs broker partners |
| Storage, devanning, pick & pack, FBA prep | Partner warehousePartner warehouses |
| Cargo insurance | Third-party insurerThird-party insurers |
| Pickup and final delivery in the US | Carrier partnerCarrier partners |
Customs questions
Q01Do I need a bond?
Every formal entry needs one. If you import a few times a year, a single-entry bond (from $75) per shipment may do. If you import regularly, an annual continuous bond (from $425/year) is usually cheaper and simpler.
Q02Can you get my goods through faster?
We chase the paperwork so it's ready before the cargo is. We can't control CBP's decisions, exams or hold times, and we don't guarantee clearance.
Q03I've got air freight. Do I need ISF?
No, ISF is ocean only. You'll need the entry.
Booking confirmed? Send the ISF data now, not later.
A few details about the cargo and where it's going. We reply within one business day, Mon–Fri 9:00–18:00 ET, with a written quote or the questions we need answered first.
No online payment · Written quote first