Continuous vs single-entry customs bond
Both satisfy the same CBP requirement. The difference is arithmetic: a continuous bond is one annual premium covering every entry at every port, while a single-entry bond is a fresh premium and a fresh minimum on every shipment — plus a separate ISF bond on each ocean move. Importers filing more than a handful of entries a year are usually paying more to stay on single-entry bonds than the continuous bond would cost them.
Side by side
| Factor | Continuous | Single-entry |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage period | 12 months, all ports, all entries; renews automatically | One entry at one port |
| Bond amount | 10% of duties, taxes and fees paid in the previous 12 months, minimum $50,000 | Entered value plus duties, taxes and fees — often three times entered value for FDA, USDA, quota or other agency goods |
| ISF coverage | Included | Not included — a separate ISF bond is required per ocean shipment |
| Typical premium | Commonly a few hundred dollars a year at the $50,000 minimum; scales with the bond amount | Commonly quoted per $1,000 of bond amount with a per-filing minimum, so it repeats on every shipment |
| Filing friction | Filed once; the broker references the bond on every entry | Obtained and paid for shipment by shipment, and can hold up a release if it is late |
| Best fit | Repeat importers, ocean shipments, multiple ports, PGA-regulated goods | A genuine one-off import, or a first shipment while the continuous bond is being set up |
How CBP sets the bond amount
A continuous bond is written at 10% of the duties, taxes and fees the importer paid in the previous 12 months, with a $50,000 floor. Amounts are rounded up to the nearest $10,000 below $100,000, and to the nearest $100,000 above it. A single-entry bond is written on the entered value of the shipment plus its duties, taxes and fees — and commonly at three times entered value when another federal agency regulates the goods.
Single-entry = entered value + duties + taxes + fees (x3 if PGA-regulated)
Bond amount calculator
Continuous bond amount
$50,000
10% of your prior-year duties falls under the floor, so the $50,000 minimum applies.
Single-entry bond amount, per shipment
$128,000
Entered value plus duties, taxes and fees on the shipment.
Indicative only. CBP sets the bond amount rules; the surety sets the premium after underwriting. Sellexio does not issue, broker or bind customs bonds.
Working out the break-even
Premium is set by the surety, not by CBP, so the only honest break-even uses your own numbers. Take the single-entry premium you actually pay, including the per-filing minimum and the ISF bond that rides with it, multiply it by the entries you expect this year, and compare it with one annual continuous premium at the bond amount above. Two things usually decide it: entry frequency, and whether your goods are ocean freight — ISF cover being included is often worth more than the headline premium difference.
Where importers overpay
Single-entry bonds on a repeat lane
A per-shipment bond on a lane you run monthly stacks a fresh premium and a fresh minimum onto every entry. Past a handful of entries a year, the continuous bond is usually the cheaper instrument.
A bond amount that never came back down
The bond is sized on the previous 12 months of duties, taxes and fees. After a tariff change or a volume drop, the amount — and the premium — should be reviewed at renewal rather than rolled forward untouched.
Paying for ISF bonds you already have
A continuous bond covers the Importer Security Filing. An ISF bond billed alongside it on ocean entries is duplicate cover.
Bond premium marked up inside the brokerage invoice
Bond premium is a pass-through from the surety. When it appears as an unlabelled line in a broker invoice, compare it against a direct surety quote for the same bond amount.
An insufficient bond that stops entries
If duties, taxes and fees grow past the bond, CBP renders it insufficient and entries stall until it is increased. That is a cash and demurrage problem, not just a paperwork one.
Customs bond cost FAQ
How much is a customs bond?
Premium is set by the surety on the bond amount and the importer’s risk, not by CBP. A continuous bond at the $50,000 minimum commonly costs a few hundred dollars for the year; single-entry bonds are usually quoted per $1,000 of bond amount with a per-filing minimum, so the cost repeats on every shipment.
What customs bond amount do I need?
For a continuous bond, 10% of the duties, taxes and fees you paid in the previous 12 months, rounded up to the nearest $10,000 below $100,000 and to the nearest $100,000 above it, with a $50,000 floor. For a single-entry bond, the entered value plus duties, taxes and fees — commonly three times entered value when another agency regulates the goods.
At how many entries does a continuous bond pay for itself?
It depends on your entered values, but the arithmetic is simple: multiply the single-entry premium you actually pay by the number of entries you expect, and compare it with one annual continuous premium. Importers filing more than a few entries a year usually cross over quickly, and the continuous bond also removes the per-shipment ISF bond.
Can I have more than one continuous bond?
An importer of record normally holds one continuous Activity Code 1 bond, which covers every port. Separate bonds are needed for different activities — custodial or drawback — not for different ports.
What happens if the bond is found insufficient?
CBP notifies the importer and the surety, and entries can be held until a larger bond is filed. Because the calculation looks back 12 months, a tariff increase or a volume spike can make a bond insufficient without anything else changing.
Audit the entries, not just the bond
The bond is a few hundred dollars. The duty lines, brokerage fees and accessorials filed against it are where the money moves. Send a recent set of entries and invoices and we will show you what is recoverable before you owe anything.
Start a free auditIndicative only. CBP sets the bond amount rules; the surety sets the premium after underwriting. Sellexio does not issue, broker or bind customs bonds.