Understanding customs bond types saves importers money and prevents delays at the port. Every formal entry into the U.S. needs a bond, and for most importers the real choice is between a single entry bond and a continuous bond. Pick the wrong one and you either overpay for coverage or scramble to post a new bond every time a container lands. Here is how the bond types work, how CBP sets the amount, and what they typically cost.
A customs bond is a financial guarantee to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that duties, taxes and fees will be paid and that the importer will follow import rules. It is required for formal entries, which generally means shipments valued over $2,500 and certain regulated goods at any value. The bond protects the government, not the importer, which is why the surety underwriting it looks closely at your compliance history.
| Factor | Single entry bond | Continuous bond |
|---|---|---|
| Covers | One entry at one port | All entries at all ports for 12 months |
| Bond amount | Entered value plus duties, taxes and fees (higher for restricted goods) | Greater of $50,000 or 10% of duties, taxes and fees paid in the prior 12 months |
| Renewal | None, bought per shipment | Renews automatically each year |
| Best for | A few shipments a year | Importing monthly or more often |
| Entry summary code | Bond type 9 | Bond type 8 |
A single entry bond, formally a single transaction bond, covers one entry through one port. The bond amount is generally at least the entered value of the goods plus duties, taxes and fees. For restricted or prohibited merchandise CBP can require up to three times the value, and goods regulated by other agencies such as FDA can also carry higher amounts. Single entry bonds make sense if you import only a handful of shipments a year.
A continuous bond covers all of your entries at any port for 12 months and renews automatically until cancelled. CBP sets the amount at the greater of $50,000 or 10% of the duties, taxes and fees you paid in the previous 12 months, rounded up. For anyone importing monthly or more, a continuous bond is almost always cheaper per shipment than buying a new single entry bond each time.
Bond premiums are set by surety companies, not by CBP, so pricing depends on the bond amount, the goods and your history. As a guide:
The breakeven usually comes at four or five shipments a year. Past that point, the annual premium on a continuous bond is typically less than paying for single entry bonds shipment by shipment. Review your bond amount each year too: if your duties grow, CBP can require a larger continuous bond, and an insufficient bond can hold freight at the port.
These codes appear in the bond type field on the CBP Form 7501 entry summary, not on the bond itself. Bond type 8 means the entry is covered by a continuous bond. Bond type 9 means it is covered by a single transaction bond. Code 0 is used when no bond is required, such as certain government entries.
The CBP Form 301 bond application lists activity codes that describe what the bond covers. The most common:
| Activity code | Who needs it |
|---|---|
| 1 | Importers (basic importation and entry). The bond most importers mean when they say “customs bond.” |
| 1a | Drawback claimants receiving accelerated payment |
| 2 | Custodians of bonded merchandise: bonded carriers, bonded warehouses, container freight stations |
| 3 | International carriers |
| 4 | Foreign Trade Zone operators |
| 16 | Importer Security Filing (ISF) |
“In-bond” is a different idea that sounds similar. An in-bond movement lets goods travel within the U.S. before duties are paid, either to another port for entry or through the country for export. The three in-bond entry types are 61, Immediate Transportation (IT), for moving goods to another U.S. port where entry is made; 62, Transportation and Exportation (T&E), for moving goods through the U.S. to be exported; and 63, Immediate Exportation (IE), for exporting goods from the port where they arrived. When people ask about “in-bond type 3,” they usually mean type 63, Immediate Exportation.
In-bond movements are secured by the carrier’s custodial bond (activity code 2), not by the importer’s activity code 1 bond. An in-bond move is not a “normal” import entry: it defers entry and duty until the goods reach their destination port or leave the country. Most in-bond moves must be completed within 30 days.
If you import regularly, get a continuous bond and review the amount every year. If you import occasionally, single entry bonds keep costs down. Either way, bond type is one piece of a larger compliance picture that includes accurate HTS classification and duty calculation. Argents is a licensed U.S. customs broker and can set up the right bond as part of our customs clearance services.
Single transaction (single entry) bonds, which cover one entry, and continuous bonds, which cover all entries for a year. Bonds are further defined by activity code, with activity code 1 used by importers.
A bond that covers one import entry at one port. Its amount is generally the entered value plus duties, taxes and fees, and it can be higher for restricted or agency-regulated goods.
The minimum bond amount is $50,000, or 10% of your prior year’s duties, taxes and fees if higher. The annual premium is set by the surety and for a $50,000 bond commonly starts at a few hundred dollars.
Type 63, Immediate Exportation, is one of three in-bond types. It is used when goods arrive at a U.S. port and leave from that same port without entering U.S. commerce. Types 61 and 62 cover moves to another port for entry or through the U.S. for export.
Informal entries of $2,500 or less usually do not require a bond, though regulated goods can. With Section 321 de minimis suspended, more low-value shipments now clear on informal entries.
Source: CBP, “How CBP Sets Bond Amounts” (February 2024). Updated September 2026. General information, not legal advice.