Port of entry: Houston, Texas
Customs broker for the Port of Houston
The Houston seaport is CBP port 5301 in the Houston Field Office. Bush Intercontinental Airport is port 5309. Allied CHB files entries for containers, steel, breakbulk and project cargo at Houston in ACE under filer code 9AJ.
Port facts
What does CBP port 5301 cover?
- CBP port code
- 5301
- Houston Seaport, Texas
- Other codes in the area
- 5306, 5309, 5310, 5311
- Texas City, Houston Intercontinental Airport, Galveston and Freeport (FDA port list)
- Modes
- Sea and air
- Containers, steel, breakbulk, project cargo and bulk; air cargo at IAH
- Terminals
- More than 200 private and 8 public
- On the Houston Ship Channel. Port Houston runs the Barbours Cut and Bayport container terminals and the Turning Basin breakbulk terminal.
- CBP seaport office
- 7141 Office City Drive, Houston, TX 77087
- Marine operations: 24 hours, 7 days a week
- CBP field office
- Houston
- Also Dallas/Fort Worth 5501, Freeport 5311, Corpus Christi 5312 and other ports in Texas and Oklahoma
- General order
- From day 15 after landing
- Cargo without an entry goes to a general order warehouse at the importer's risk and expense (19 CFR 4.37).
- FDA
- Division of Southwest Imports
- Houston Resident Post
- USDA APHIS PPQ
- Plant inspection station
- Houston (in the City of Humble)
- USFWS designated port
- Yes
- Houston, Texas (50 CFR 14.12)
Which agencies check cargo at Houston?
| Agency | Office for Houston | What it means for your cargo |
|---|---|---|
| CBP | Houston Seaport office, Houston Field Office | Cargo release, exams and penalties. The port page lists a Trade Enforcement Team for trade questions, including transfers of cargo for exam. It also lists offices in Galveston, Freeport and Corpus Christi. |
| CBP at the airport | Port 5309, Houston Airport | Air cargo release at the Air Cargo One Stop, plus the in-bond unit and the general order unit for Houston. |
| FDA | Division of Southwest Imports, Houston Resident Post | Food, drugs, medical devices and cosmetics. FDA lists ports 5301, 5306, 5309, 5310 and 5311 under this office. |
| USDA APHIS PPQ | Plant inspection station, Houston (Humble, TX) | Plants and seeds for planting go to a plant inspection station. CBP agriculture specialists also check wood packaging and crates for the treatment mark (7 CFR 319.40-3). |
| U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Designated port: Houston, Texas | Wildlife and wildlife products can enter here. The importer files Form 3-177 with the Service (50 CFR 14.61). |
FDA asks that questions about an entry under initial review go to the FDA ImportShield Program. Questions about an exam, a sample, a detention or a refusal go to the import operations of the Division of Southwest Imports.
What arrives at Houston, and which rules matter most?
Steel, aluminum and copper
Section 232 duties apply to these metals and many derivative products. CBP changed the rates and codes on April 6 and June 8, 2026. The entry must report the country of melt and pour for steel. Read the June 2026 CBP guidance.
Steel import licenses
Basic steel mill products need a steel import license from the Commerce SIMA system before the entry summary is filed (19 CFR 360.101). One entry can need more than one license. Many steel products, such as pipe and tube, also carry antidumping or countervailing duties. See AD/CVD duties.
Breakbulk and project cargo
Machinery, pipe, wind turbine parts and other oversize units arrive without containers. If the carrier has the breakbulk exemption, the ISF is due 24 hours before arrival, not before loading (19 CFR 149.4(b)). Bulk cargo needs no ISF. See project cargo.
Chemicals and resins
A chemical substance, alone or in a mixture, needs a TSCA certification before release (19 CFR 12.121). The importer certifies that the goods comply with TSCA, or that they are not subject to TSCA. See chemical imports.
What goes wrong at Houston, and what should I do?
The entry summary has no steel license
Get the SIMA license before the entry summary is filed. The license data (importer, exporter, manufacturer, country of origin) must agree with the entry. Send us the mill certificate and the melt country with the invoice.
Section 232 is filed on the wrong basis
Derivative products follow detailed Chapter 99 notes. Since April 6, 2026, goods with less than 15 percent metal content are excluded. If the duty was wrong, a post-summary correction can fix it before liquidation. See Section 232.
CBP orders an exam of oversize cargo
A container moves to a centralized examination station (CES), a private facility where CBP officers examine goods (19 CFR 118.1). The importer pays to prepare the goods for exam (19 CFR 151.6) and the CES fees (19 CFR 118.4). For breakbulk, ask early where the exam will take place.
The cargo is at a private terminal
Many ship channel terminals are private, not Port Houston. Each one sets its own free time and storage rates. Ask the carrier for the terminal name and the free time before the vessel arrives.
No entry by day 15
The vessel operator must report unentered cargo to CBP no later than 20 calendar days after landing, and the cargo then goes to a general order warehouse (19 CFR 4.37). Storage there is at your risk and expense.
Cargo moves inland in-bond
Cargo can leave Houston in-bond for an inland port such as Dallas/Fort Worth. It must arrive within 30 days (19 CFR 18.1(i)). See in-bond moves.
How does Allied CHB file an entry at Houston?
Allied CHB files entries remotely in ACE under filer code 9AJ at every U.S. port of entry. For Houston, the cargo stays at the ship channel terminal, the CES or the airport. We file the ISF, the steel license data and the entry, and we answer CBP and the other agencies.
Send the ISF data before loading, or 24 hours before arrival for exempt breakbulk. For the first entry, sign the power of attorney online.
Master and house bill of lading numbers
Commercial invoice, packing list and arrival notice
For steel and aluminum
Mill certificate, country of melt and pour (steel) or smelt and cast (aluminum), and the metal content by weight and value.
For chemicals
Safety data sheet and the TSCA status of each substance.
Importer of record number and a customs bond
A formal entry needs a bond. See customs bonds.
A signed power of attorney
One time, before the first entry.
Quote on request
How do I get a quote?
Request: Customs entry at the Port of Houston
Quote on request
Questions
Questions about customs at the Port of Houston
What is the CBP port code for Houston?
5301 for the Houston seaport. Air cargo at George Bush Intercontinental Airport uses port 5309. FDA also lists 5306 Texas City, 5310 Galveston and 5311 Freeport. All of them are in the CBP Houston Field Office.
Do I need a customs broker with an office in Houston?
No. A licensed broker with a national permit can do customs business at every U.S. port (19 CFR 111.19). Allied CHB is in Rahway, New Jersey and files Houston entries in ACE. The cargo, the exam and the pickup stay in Houston.
Do I need a license to import steel through Houston?
Yes, for basic steel mill products. Get a steel import license from the Commerce SIMA system before the entry summary is filed (19 CFR 360.101). The license is free. Section 232 duties and any AD/CVD duties apply in addition.
When is the ISF due for breakbulk cargo?
If the vessel carrier has the breakbulk exemption from the 24-hour rule, the ISF is due 24 hours before the cargo arrives in the United States (19 CFR 149.4(b)). Otherwise it is due 24 hours before loading. Bulk cargo needs no ISF. See ISF filing.
Can I import chemicals or plastic resins through Houston?
Yes. The entry needs a TSCA certification before release (19 CFR 12.121). A new chemical substance that is not on the TSCA Inventory needs an EPA premanufacture notice before import (40 CFR part 720). Tell us the CAS numbers before the vessel sails.
Can wildlife products enter at Houston?
Yes. Houston, Texas is a designated port for wildlife (50 CFR 14.12). The importer files Form 3-177 with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Species listed under CITES also need CITES documents.
Cargo arriving at Houston?
Call (908) 291-8001 or email info@alliedchb.com
Last reviewed September 28, 2026. This page explains customs rules in general terms. It is not legal advice. Duty rates and CBP procedures change often, and we confirm the figures for your shipment in writing before you commit.
Sources
- CBP: Houston Seaport, Texas - 5301
- CBP: Houston Airport, Texas - 5309
- CBP: Houston Field Office
- FDA: Texas import offices and ports of entry
- USDA APHIS: Plant inspection stations (Program Aid 1942)
- Port Houston: 2025 results (January 30, 2026)
- Port Houston: Multi-purpose, breakbulk and project cargo
- 19 CFR 101.3 (ports of entry)
- 19 CFR 360.101 (steel import licensing)
- 19 CFR 12.121 (TSCA certification)
- 19 CFR 149.4 (ISF for bulk and breakbulk)
- 19 CFR 4.37 (general order, vessels)
- 50 CFR 14.12 (designated ports)