Recently, officials announced that U.S. land borders with Mexico and Canada will remain closed for non-essential travel through at least the last week of December amid COVID-19 surges in all three countries. Although the borders have been closed since March, trucks will continue to be allowed to freely crossing borders as essential goods movement is exempt from these restrictions, and Freight Waves reports these haven’t directly impacted cross-border freight volumes, which have recovered since the pandemic-related lows. Still, at a time when customs and border agents are being extra cautious, businesses that depend on transportation of goods across international borders benefit markedly from working with a customs bonded carrier and warehouse provider.

In-bond loads or “bonded shipments” are those that are transported through or stored in the U.S., but aren’t intended to be commercialized here. For that reason, they don’t need to clear customs at the border or pay duties, taxes or customs costs they normally would during the import process. However, you need a bonded carrier to help you move these goods. If they need to be stored en route, you must also work with a customs bonded warehouse.

An example of a bonded shipment would be an LTL shipment that leaves Canada and is transported by land to be received in Mexico – or visa versa. Customs bonded transportation and warehousing services are specially licensed to receive, hold, repackage and transport these goods. 

Cleveland Customs Bonded Carrier Can Boost Your Bottom Line

International trade is on the rise, with the UNCTAD reporting world trade in goods has risen from about $10 trillion in 2005 to $19.5 million in 2019.

When you ship freight across international borders, you want to work with a carrier and warehousing service familiar with customs and in-bond freight processes. Failure to adhere to customs protocols can halt the movement of your shipment or might even result in it being confiscated or destroyed.

Correctly preparing all the paperwork, packaging the materials and meeting every regulation set forth by each controlling entity are big jobs. Regulations vary depending on:

• Where goods are commercialized.
• Where goods are sold.
• Which countries they may pass through along the way to being sold.

Companies can avoid much of this hassle of clearing customs by working with a Cleveland customs bonded carrier that provides not just transport services but storage options as well.

A good logistics firm can help your company save time, money and effort by facilitating the flow of your goods straight through customs and into storage and/or its final destination. For many companies, the prime benefit is that they avoid paying the taxes, fees and duties on goods until they are actually sold. At On Time Delivery & Warehouse, we can even repackage your items before they are shipped on.

A 3PL that functions as a successful customs bonded carrier and warehousing provider can walk you through each step of the international shipping process. Having all these options under one roof – with a single point of contact – is an important convenience for our clients.

Shipping freight across international borders does not need to be a long or complicated process, but Customs-bonded carriers who specialize in it can make it even more hassle-free. For many of our customers, that peace of mind alone makes the partnership worth it.

If you have questions about our Cleveland customs bonded transportation and warehousing services, contact On Time Delivery & Warehouse by calling (440) 826-4630 or send us an email.

Additional Resources:

US, Mexico, Canada border closures extend another month, Nov. 21, 2020, By Nate Tabak, FreightWaves.com

More Blog Entries:

Supply Chain Resilience Requires Cleveland Trucking Services With High Standards, July 30, 2020, Cleveland Trucking Service Blog