Skip to main content

Tool · Customs bonds

Customs bond calculator

Work out the amount of a continuous bond or a single transaction bond with the formulas that CBP publishes. The example is filled in. Change the numbers to see your amount.

Enter what you paid to CBP on your entries in the previous 12 months. No imports in that time? Enter your estimate for the next 12 months.

The regular duty from the HTS number (column 1).

Section 232, Section 301 and other additional duties.

MPF, HMF, excise taxes and other CBP fees.

Unpaid CBP bills (optional)

CBP adds unpaid bills to the bond amount. Leave these empty if you have none.

CBP adds 10 percent.

CBP adds 100 percent.

CBP adds 100 percent.

Continuous bond amount

$60,000

Duties, taxes and fees, 12 months
$559,000
10 percent
$55,900
Rounded up to the next $10,000
$60,000

Formula: 10 percent of the duties, taxes and fees of the previous 12 months. At least $50,000. Rounded up to the next $10,000 up to $100,000, then to the next $100,000.

CBP can require a higher amount, for example for AD/CVD goods or a record of late payments.

The result is an estimate from CBP's published formulas. CBP sets the final amount. Got a notice from CBP? Read the insufficient bond notice guide.

CBP formula

How does CBP set the bond amount?

CBP publishes its formulas in A Guide for the Public: How CBP Sets Bond Amounts (February 2024). The rules below are for Activity Code 1, the basic importation and entry bond.

Continuous bond

The amount is 10 percent of the duties, taxes and fees on your entries in the previous 12 months. It covers all principals, co-principals and users on the bond. The minimum is $50,000.

CBP rounds the amount up. Up to $100,000, it rounds to the next $10,000. Above $100,000, it rounds to the next $100,000. So a bond jumps from $100,000 to $200,000 when 10 percent passes $100,000.

CBP also adds unpaid bills. It adds 10 percent of bills under 210 days past due or protested. It adds 100 percent of older bills, bills with a denied protest and unpaid debit vouchers. Then it rounds the total up again.

Examples of the continuous bond rounding rule
Duties, taxes and fees in 12 months10 percentBond amount
$300,000$30,000$50,000minimum
$559,000$55,900$60,000
$940,000$94,000$100,000
$1,000,000$100,000$100,000
$1,090,000$109,000$200,000
$2,350,000$235,000$300,000

Single transaction bond

A single transaction bond covers one entry. You need one when a bond is required and you have no continuous bond. It is stated in whole dollars, rounded up to the next dollar, and is at least $100 (19 CFR 113.13).

Single transaction bond amounts by type of goods
GoodsBond amountSource
Most goodsEntered value plus duties, taxes and feesGuide 6.4.2.3
Unconditionally duty-free goodsCBP can accept 10 percent of the entered valueGuide 6.4.2.3
Restricted goods3 times the value of the restricted goods, at least $100Guide 6.4.2.3
Alcohol (TTB), goods under quota or visa rules, USDA marketing order goods3 times the value of the goodsGuide, Appendix A
Goods under FDA, CPSC, EPA or DOT rulesEntered value plus duties, taxes and fees. For some programs, the domestic value, for example FDA food, drugs and cosmetics. 3 times the value if CBP treats the goods as restricted or prohibited.Guide, Appendix A
Temporary importation under bond (TIB)2 times the estimated duties, including MPF19 CFR 10.31(f), Guide 6.4.2.3

CBP can require a higher amount

The formula is a starting point. CBP can ask for a larger bond, or an additional single transaction bond, when it sees a risk to the revenue. Examples are goods under an AD/CVD order, unpaid bills and a record of late payments (19 CFR 113.13 and CBP's guide, section 6.4.2.3).

Worked example

What does the example in the calculator show?

An importer brings in $2,000,000 of steel auto parts a year. Its fees and taxes are about $9,000 a year.

With the base duty only

2.5 percent duty: $50,000. With fees and taxes, the total is $59,000. 10 percent is $5,900.

$50,000

The $50,000 minimum applies.

With a 25 percent Section 232 duty

Chapter 99 duty of 25 percent: $500,000 more. The total is $559,000. 10 percent is $55,900.

$60,000

Rounded up to the next $10,000.

The goods and the value did not change. The additional duty alone moved the bond above the minimum.

2026

What changes in 2026?

The $50,000 minimum covers importers who pay up to $500,000 a year in duties, taxes and fees. Higher duties in 2026 can push an importer past that line.
  1. Section 232 metals duties on the full value

    Additional duties of 10 to 50 percent on the full customs value of steel, aluminum and copper articles and their derivatives, from all countries. CSMS #68253075.
  2. More Section 232 metals HTS numbers

    New HTS numbers came under the metals duties, and the rates for some others went down. CSMS #68855869.
  3. Section 301 duty on goods of Brazil

    An additional 25 percent on most goods of Brazil. CSMS #69302472.
  4. Section 301 duties on goods of sixty economies

    Additional duties of 10 to 12.5 percent on goods of sixty listed economies, with exemptions. CSMS #69326983.

A bond that was right a year ago can be too small now. CBP reviews continuous bonds each month. When a bond is too small, CBP can send an insufficiency notice with a deadline. What to do when you get an insufficient bond notice.

The previous 12 months can also include duties that no longer apply, such as the Section 122 surcharge of February 24 to July 24, 2026. Look at your next 12 months, not only the last 12.

Bond quote

How do I get a bond in the right amount?

Tell us what you import and what you paid to CBP. We check the amount with you and quote the bond. We do not sell bonds online.

Request: Customs bond quote

Quote on request

Do not send an EIN, a Social Security number or a password in this form. We ask for them securely later.

Or call (908) 291-8001 or email info@alliedchb.com.

More about bond types on our customs bonds page.

Questions

Customs bond amounts: common questions

Do Section 232 and Section 301 duties count?

Yes. The formula uses all the duties, taxes and fees on your entries. Chapter 99 duties such as Section 232 and Section 301 are duties, so they raise the bond amount.

Which entries does CBP leave out of the formula?

CBP leaves out entry types 05, 11, 12, 26, 31, 32, 34, 38, 47, 51 and 86. For example, informal entries (type 11) do not count.

How often does CBP check my bond?

CBP's Revenue Division reviews every active continuous bond for importation each month (CSMS 18-000664). If your bond is too small for the formula, CBP can send an insufficiency notice.

Do refunded IEEPA duties count?

CBP has not published how its bond review treats IEEPA duties that it refunds. When CBP accepts a CAPE declaration, ACE removes the IEEPA duties from the entry summary lines. Until then, plan for them to count. CBP decides case by case.

What if I had no imports in the last 12 months?

CBP uses your estimate of the duties, taxes and fees for the next 12 months. The continuous bond is never less than $50,000.

Why plan for the next 12 months, not the last 12?

A continuous bond runs for a year, but CBP reviews it each month. If your duties grow, CBP can ask for a larger bond in the middle of the year. CBP advises importers to forecast the next 12 months and to consider a bond above the minimum.

Can I raise a single transaction bond after the entry?

Only in the 10 days between the entry and the entry summary, CBP says. Size the bond before you file.

Can CBP ask for more than the formula?

Yes. CBP can require a larger bond or an additional single transaction bond when it finds a risk to the revenue. Examples are AD/CVD goods, unpaid bills and a record of late payments.

Can I order a bond on this page?

No. The calculator shows the amount only. For a bond quote, use the request box on this page, or call us.

Need a customs bond?

Send us the numbers. We check the amount against CBP's formula and quote the bond.

Call (908) 291-8001 or email info@alliedchb.com

Last reviewed September 26, 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.