Move cargo through the United States under customs bond with electronic in-bond filing. TruckerPro supports IT, T&E, and IE in-bond types directly within the eManifest workflow.
Start Free Learn MoreAn in-bond shipment is cargo that is permitted to move through the United States under customs bond without being formally entered (cleared through customs) at the port where it first arrives. Instead of paying duties and completing customs clearance at the arrival port, the goods travel "in bond" to another location where they will either be cleared, exported, or transferred.
In-bond movements are essential for cross-border trucking, particularly for Canadian carriers. A common scenario is a shipment originating in one Canadian province, transiting through the United States by truck, and arriving in another Canadian province. Without the in-bond mechanism, the goods would need to be formally imported into the US and then re-exported — a costly and time-consuming process. The in-bond allows the cargo to transit through the US under bond, with customs clearance handled only at the final destination in Canada.
In-bond entries are filed electronically through the ACE (Automated Commercial Environment) system and are included as part of the eManifest filing process. The carrier must be bonded (hold a customs bond) to transport in-bond cargo.
IT in-bonds allow goods to move from the port of arrival to another US port for customs clearance. This is used when the importer wants to clear goods at an inland customs facility rather than at the border port.
Example: Goods arrive at the US border in Buffalo, NY, but the importer wants to clear them through customs in Chicago, IL. An IT in-bond allows the truck to transport the goods from Buffalo to Chicago without formal entry at the border.
T&E in-bonds allow goods to transit through the US for export to another country. This is the most common in-bond type for Canadian trucking companies moving freight between Canadian provinces through the US.
Example: A shipment from Ontario is trucked through New York and Vermont to reach Quebec. The T&E in-bond allows the goods to transit through the US without being formally imported, with customs clearance happening only when the truck re-enters Canada.
IE in-bonds allow goods to be exported directly from the port of arrival without formal customs entry into the US. This is used when goods arrive at a US port and are immediately transported for export.
Example: Goods arrive at a US seaport and are loaded onto a truck for immediate transport to the Canadian border for export. The IE in-bond covers the movement from the seaport to the border crossing.
In-bond movements are required whenever cargo needs to travel within the United States without being formally cleared through customs. The most common scenarios for trucking companies include:
QP (Qualified Party) in-bond filing is the electronic method for submitting in-bond applications through the ACE system. Under the QP system, authorized parties can file in-bond entries electronically and receive automated approvals for qualifying shipments, eliminating the need for manual CBP review in most cases.
The QP in-bond system replaced much of the legacy paper-based in-bond process and is now the standard method for filing. It integrates directly with the eManifest workflow — when you create an in-bond shipment in TruckerPro, the system generates the correct QP in-bond filing alongside the eManifest data.
Key requirements for QP in-bond filing include: the carrier must hold a valid customs bond, the filing must include accurate commodity and routing information, and the in-bond must be closed (arrived) at the destination port within the specified time limit (typically 30 days for IT entries).
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