Clearance guide

How customs clearance works

Your first shipment, start to finish. We file with CBP. You send us the details and documents.

Written by Borderless CHB · Updated October 19, 2026

1
Before the ship leaves
The ISF (ocean only)
Every ocean shipment needs an Importer Security Filing (ISF). CBP must have it 24 hours before your cargo is loaded abroad.
Send us the details 2 days before loading. File them in your portal: open ISFs, then File an ISF.
What it takes:
- Master and house bills, departure and arrival dates
- Seller, buyer, ship-to and each manufacturer
- Consolidator and stuffing location (send these as soon as you know them)
- Each product's HTS code to 6 digits and its country of origin
Air shipments skip this step.
In transit
Your documents
In your portal, click File an entry. Drop in the commercial invoice, packing list and bill of lading. No arrival notice yet? Send what you have and add it when your forwarder sends it.
The portal drafts the entry. A licensed customs broker checks every line.
At arrival
Entry and release
We email you when your entry summary, the 7501, is ready. It shows the total due to CBP. Review it and click Confirm duty. Then we transmit the entry.
CBP releases the cargo or holds it for an exam. We handle exams with you. You see each status in the portal, in CBP's own words.
After release
Duties, fees and paperwork
Duties and CBP fees pass through at cost. Pay them by wire before we transmit, or we pay CBP and bill you on your terms.
We email you when the entry is released and invoiced. Invoices and statements are in the portal as PDFs.

What you need once

An active account and a signed power of attorney
Your importer number
A bond. A continuous bond is $500 a year and covers your ISFs too. A single entry bond is $5 per $1,000 of the bond amount, $50 minimum. A single ISF bond is $50.

Want a duty estimate first?