What is a Transportation & Exportation Bond (T&E Bond)?

You often want to import a vehicle or another belonging into Canada, but you’ll have to transport it through the United States first. When this is the case, you should use a transportation and exportation (T&E) bond to get the job done without spending more money than necessary.

What is a Transportation and Exportation Bond?

A T&E bond is a way for the US federal government to ensure that duties on imported items remaining in the United States are paid. In other words, the US takes a temporary payment from a hauling company or a private property owner moving an item through the United States to another country, such as Canada or Mexico. The bond amount is reimbursed when the item is transported back out of the country once again, but it is kept if, for some reason, the export never happens. This makes it easy for the Federal Government to collect money for import duties, and it’s a form of security that’s easy for everyone involved.

Why is it Valuable?

The relocation and exportation bond system is valuable for hauling services and people moving objects through the United States because it allows them to avoid paying duties to the country for items that aren’t being imported. With these bonds in place, they make a temporary payment that’s later reimbursed to make the shipping cost much more affordable overall. Paying duties multiple times would be costly and a poor way to ship items between countries.

• A T&E bond allows vehicles to transit the U.S. under CBP supervision without paying import duties, with the bond refunded upon confirmed export within 30 days.
• Single-entry T&E bond premiums typically cost $50–$250 per shipment; carriers using continuous bonds pay $400–$700 annually covering unlimited in-bond movements.
• T&E bonds are a CBP compliance requirement under 19 CFR Part 113 — missing the export deadline triggers duty charges, fines, or a formal bond claim against the surety.

Finding A Service That Utilizes Securities

When having vehicles or other items shipped through the United States and into Canada, you must ensure you work with a company that uses T&E bonds. If they aren’t using this bonded method of transport, you’ll be stuck paying additional duties, which will be on top of the duties you’ll pay when the vehicle finally makes it to Canada. This will make your conveyance significantly more expensive and is never a good idea.

You won’t need to worry about T&E bonds unless you’re moving a vehicle or another piece of property through the United States from another country to another country. However, it’s still an important concept to understand. T&E bonds can save you a great deal of money, and they’re something that all professional shifting companies should be using to ensure their hauling services are as affordable as possible.

Need a reliable carrier for your car when moving to Canada? Need a company with the knowledge and experience to haul your vehicle safely? A-1 Auto Transport has over 20 years of carrier experience and can safely ship your car to Canada. When you are ready for a quote and to book service, fill out our easy, no-obligation quote form for fast service and a great price.