International Trade Law News

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has recently announced a number of changes to the Continuous Transaction Bond (CTB) program. The CTB program will be centralized at the National Finance Center (NFC) in Indianapolis, Indiana. The bond centralization effort will include the filing, approval and maintenance of all CTBs. According to CBP, the major objectives of the program are: (1) Uniformity; (2) Bond Sufficiency; and (3) Fair and consistent application of regulations and policies.

The NFC has established a voice mailbox (317-614-4880) for all inquiries concerning pilot bond centralization. This includes inquiries into the status of new bond applications submitted through the pilot ports. CBP has advised importers that they should leave a brief message and include their name, phone number and an email address. A CBP represetative is supposed to respond to the call no later than the next business day. The NFC has stated that it will not respond to status inquiries if the application has been on file with the NFC for less than 3 business days. The fax number for submitting bonds to the NFC is 317-614-4517 and the email address is cbp.bondquestions@dhs.gov. CBP has stated that it is "imperative" that each bond application includes: (1) a point of contact; (2) telephone number; (3) fax number; and (4) an email address, if available.