A record number of companies shipping products to the United States are failing to meet federal requirements to financially ensure they can pay import trade tariffs triggered by: president donald trumptariff policy.

This resulted in record payments to the United States to cover the shortfall.

U.S. Customs data shared with CNBC shows that so-called Customs bonded goods are “insufficient” The total number reached 27,479 in fiscal 2025, with the total value soaring to nearly $3.6 billion. This is the largest number of bond shortfalls on record and the highest total value of the bond shortfalls. In fact, tariffs imposed by President Trump under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 have also exacerbated the bond shortage, which is double 2019 levels.

“Bonds are the primary tool CBP uses to safeguard U.S. revenue and ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations,” a CBP spokesperson said.

below US Customs Guidethe agency continuously reviews the adequacy of bonds and bonds will be marked as deficient when an importer’s duty/tax liability exceeds 100% of its current bond capacity. Record shortage occurs in U.S. government tariff revenue hits record highTariff collections soared to $30 billion in January, bringing the year-to-date total to $124 billion. An increase of 304% compared with the same period in 2025.

“Overall, it makes sense that the deficiency would more than double,” said Jennifer Diaz, an attorney at Diaz Trade Law. “Many companies take it for granted that a $50,000 bond should cover you for a year,” she said. “But maybe not. They’re not using a fixed calculation, and no one’s telling them their bond obligations are higher.”

International trade experts told CNBC that with tariffs on some products ranging from 10% to 25% or even higher, importers face customs bond amounts ranging from the current minimum bond amount of US$50,000 to as high as US$450 million.

Importer buys customs bondAlso called a surety bond, it is issued through a specialized insurance company called a surety company. These bonds are issued approximately 30 days before imported goods arrive in the United States to ensure that Customs collects the necessary duties if the importer defaults on its obligations. The bonds are held by Customs in a non-interest-bearing account for 314 days. During this period, the duties paid can be reviewed and final approval from the government obtained.

U.S. importers pay a premium to insure their bonds. The premium is typically 1% of the bond limit, with the bond price covering 10% of duties and taxes paid over a rolling 12-month period. If duties and taxes rise, customs bond requirements will also rise.

Guarantee companies told CNBC that their bonds have risen by more than 200%. Vincent Moy, head of international guarantees at Marsh Risk, recently told CNBC: “In one unusual case, a large automotive manufacturing client saw a 550% increase in the amount of a custom guarantee.”

If the deposit is insufficient, the importer cannot get the freight and will be detained by customs until the deposit is met. To address the shortage, the importer will need to issue another bond, which may take at least 10 days.

In addition to bonds, companies rely on related collateral to secure trade tariff coverage. “If companies don’t increase their collateral, goods will be held up at ports,” Moi said. The collateral is held by the insurance company that issued the bond for a period of 314 days specified by U.S. Customs. Companies tell CNBC that tariff-induced bond shortfall has led to extra pressure on their relationship with the customs broker.

The Supreme Court may soon rule on whether President Trump’s IEEPA tariffs are legal. February 20 is the next possible date for a decision, and U.S. importers may not only have to queue Trade tax rebate There are also funds available to purchase customs bonds and related collateral.. If the duties are refunded, the amount of the deposit associated with these imports may be reduced to a level sufficient to pay the duties, taxes, and fees. The company needs to request a reduction of the bonds and collateral from the insurance company that issued the bonds. Trade experts told CNBC that importers should be prepared if this happens.

Importers may experience some lag time in receiving these funds due to insurance paperwork requirements, bonding companies told CNBC. Insurance companies are required to verify and review paper trail before releasing any collateral.