Wine, Spirits & TTB

Importing alcoholic beverages into the United States is one of the most heavily regulated areas of international trade. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), FDA, and CBP all have overlapping requirements. Missing a single permit, label approval, or tax payment can result in seizure of your entire shipment at the port.

TTB Permits & COLA

Before a single bottle enters the US, importers must hold an active TTB Federal Basic Permit and obtain a Certificate of Label Approval (COLA) for each product. We verify all permit and COLA documentation before filing your entry, preventing costly holds at the port for non-compliance.

Federal Excise Tax & Classification

Alcohol import duties depend on precise classification—still wine vs. sparkling, alcohol content percentage, container size, and whether the product qualifies for any trade agreement reductions. The federal excise tax (FET) is calculated based on proof gallons for spirits and wine gallons for wine, and we ensure these calculations are correct to the decimal.

State Requirements & Bonded Warehousing

Beyond federal requirements, each US state has its own alcohol import regulations, licensing, and distribution laws. We coordinate with bonded warehouse facilities for proper storage and state-by-state distribution compliance.

"Alcohol imports involve three separate federal agencies and 50 different state regulatory frameworks. We handle the full compliance stack so you can focus on your product."

• TTB Federal Basic Permit verification and COLA documentation
• Federal Excise Tax calculation (proof/wine gallons)
• FDA Prior Notice and food facility registration
• HTS classification by alcohol type, ABV, and container size
• Bonded warehouse coordination and in-bond transfers
• Country-specific trade agreement duty rate identification