Glossary
What is CBP (US Customs and Border Protection)?
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the federal agency responsible for enforcing customs, immigration and agricultural law at United States borders. It clears imports, collects duty, and enforces trade remedies and admissibility rules. |
What CBP does for importers
- Processes entries filed through ACE, the Automated Commercial Environment
- Assesses duty using the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States
- Enforces trade remedies, including Section 301 and Section 232 tariffs and anti-dumping orders
- Operates trusted trader programmes, principally C-TPAT
Who can file a US customs entry?
The importer of record, who must hold a customs bond, or a licensed customs broker acting on their behalf. Overseas exporters generally cannot act as importer of record without a US presence or a bond arrangement a point that catches out first-time shippers to the States.
Where CBP came from
CBP was created on 1 March 2003, merging the inspection functions of the US Customs Service, immigration inspection and agricultural inspection into the new Department of Homeland Security. That merger is why one agency now handles goods, people and biosecurity at the same border.
Shipping to the US? iCustoms prepares CBP-ready entry data from the same documents you already file in the UK. |
