Up to 5 years from the date of importation. That is a hard limit set by CBP. Before the 5 years run out, the merchandise has to be withdrawn for consumption, withdrawn for exportation, transferred, or destroyed under Customs supervision. We track the clock on your inventory so nothing quietly ages out and forces a rushed decision.

You pay when you file a withdrawal for consumption, not when the goods arrive. Duty and merchandise processing fee are calculated on the quantity you withdraw, at the classification, rate, and value in effect on the date of withdrawal. If you re-export the goods or move them into a foreign trade zone instead, you generally never pay U.S. duty on them at all.

Yes, within limits. CBP allows permitted manipulation such as cleaning, sorting, repacking, combining, and labeling in a bonded warehouse without paying duty first. What you cannot do is manufacture or change the goods into a new article, that requires a different setup like an FTZ or a bonded manufacturing warehouse. We confirm what your specific goods qualify for before you handle them.

Both defer duty, but they behave differently. A bonded warehouse holds goods under CBP custody for up to 5 years with limited manipulation allowed. An FTZ has no time limit, permits actual manufacturing and assembly, and can change the duty rate you pay on the finished product. Bonded storage is usually the cleaner fit for hold-and-distribute or re-export cargo. If you are transforming goods, an FTZ is often the better tool, and we will tell you which one fits your flow.

You are, through the Customs bond that covers the merchandise. Bonded goods stay under CBP jurisdiction, so a shortage, an unauthorized removal, or a recordkeeping gap can trigger duty demands and penalties against the bond. That is why the inventory control side matters as much as the entry itself. We keep your stock reconciled to CBP under 19 CFR Part 19 so the numbers always match and the bond never gets exposed.