International Carrier Bond (Activity 3)
CBP's international carrier bond (Activity 3) applies to vessel, air and vehicle carriers bringing cargo or passengers into the U.S. It runs to the carrier, not the importer. The bond conditions are in 19 CFR 113.64, and the amount depends on the carrier type, as shown below. Tell us about your operation and we will quote it through one of the sureties we place with. The quote is free, and you pay only when your bond is issued.
- Continuous or single-transaction bond, filed with CBP
- Not the same bond as an importer, ISF, or freight broker bond
- Sized under CBP's bond monetary guidelines for your carrier type
Prefer to talk it through? Call 1-844-810-BOND (2663)
Who Needs an International Carrier Bond
19 CFR 113.64 applies to “any vessel, vehicle, or aircraft” and to the master, owner, or person in charge of it. In practice that means vessel, air and vehicle carriers bringing cargo or passengers in from abroad, in four groups:
Ocean Vessel Operators
Container ships, tankers, bulk carriers and cruise lines calling at a U.S. port. Containerized vessels also carry the stow-plan and container-status-message conditions.
Air Carriers
Scheduled airlines and charter operators arriving internationally. Bond size follows seat count under 14 seats, or passenger processing fees at 14 seats and above, as shown below.
Vehicle & Rail Carriers
Vehicles crossing the border with cargo fall within the regulation's “vessel, vehicle, or aircraft” wording. Rail carriers also carry the railroad car processing fee condition (113.64(b)).
NVOCCs & Slot Charterers
An NVOCC or slot charterer that elects to provide its own advance cargo information to CBP electronically takes on the bond's cargo-data conditions as a principal (113.64(e)). See our NVOCC/OTI bond page for the related ocean intermediary bonds.
Who does not need this bond: importers filing entries (they need the continuous import bond, covered on the customs bonds hub); domestic freight brokers (they need the BMC-84 freight broker bond, compared with BMC-85 on the BMC-84 vs BMC-85 page); parties holding goods for CBP (custodial operations use the custodian bond); and freight forwarders who do not operate the conveyance themselves (see the freight forwarder bond page).
What the Bond Secures
19 CFR 113.64 lists the carrier's obligations. The bond backs the carrier's promise to pay CBP if it incurs a penalty, duty, tax or other charge, fails to pay required processing fees, fails to redeliver merchandise on demand, or misses required cargo data filings. Conditions (a) through (k) are below.
| Condition | What Triggers It | Liquidated Damages |
|---|---|---|
| 113.64(a) | Penalty, duty, tax, or charge unpaid on CBP demand; general processing fees unpaid by the last day of the month following quarter-end | Sum demanded; 2x unpaid processing fees |
| 113.64(b) | Passenger processing fees unpaid within 31 days of quarter-end, railroad car fees within 60 days of month-end, or express/hub reimbursement fees unpaid | 2x the unpaid fees |
| 113.64(c) | Merchandise not redelivered on CBP demand | Value of merchandise (3x if restricted, prohibited, or alcoholic beverages) |
| 113.64(d) | Missing or late advance cargo information | $5,000/violation, $100,000/arrival cap |
| 113.64(e) | NVOCC/slot charterer files own cargo data late or not at all | $5,000/violation, $100,000/arrival cap |
| 113.64(f) | ISF election not honored per 19 CFR 149 | $5,000/violation |
| 113.64(g) | Vessel stow plan missing, late, or incomplete | $50,000/vessel arrival |
| 113.64(h) | Container status messages not transmitted | $5,000/violation, $100,000/arrival cap |
| 113.64(i) | ACAS data missing or Do-Not-Load instruction ignored | $5,000/violation, $100,000/arrival cap |
| 113.64(j) | Outward manifest / export documents filed late | $1,100/day, $10,000 cap per violation |
| 113.64(k) | Customs security area access rules violated | $1,000/default |
Condition (g), the vessel stow plan, carries liquidated damages of $50,000 for each vessel arrival. Full regulatory text: 19 CFR 113.64 on eCFR or Cornell LII. Rules as of 2026-09-30.
Activity 3 vs. Activity 3a
In short, Activity 3 covers the carrier's own arrival, manifest, fees and clearance (19 CFR 113.64). Activity 3a covers containers, pallets and lift vans moved as instruments of international traffic (19 CFR 113.66 and 10.41a). An ocean carrier with its own container fleet often holds both.
International Carrier Bond vs. Instruments of International Traffic Bond
CBP Activity Code 3 (19 CFR 113.64) compared to Activity Code 3a (19 CFR 113.66 / 10.41a)
| Activity Code 3 | Activity Code 3a | |
|---|---|---|
| CFR authority | 19 CFR 113.64 | 19 CFR 113.66 & 19 CFR 10.41a |
| What it covers | The vessel, vehicle, or aircraft carrier’s entry, manifest, fees, and clearance | Shipping containers, lift vans, pallets moved duty-free as reusable equipment |
| Who files it | Vessel, air, vehicle, and rail carriers; NVOCCs filing their own cargo data | Ocean carriers and container-leasing companies controlling the containers |
| Minimum amount | $50,000 continuous ($25,000 single transaction); formula-based for aircraft | $20,000, or higher as CBP’s Revenue Division deems necessary |
| Bond type allowed | Single transaction or continuous | Continuous only |
| Typical carrier need | Every international arrival, every carrier type | Ocean carriers reusing containers across multiple U.S. entries without formal entry each time |
An ocean carrier with its own container fleet commonly holds both bonds simultaneously — Activity 3 for the vessel, Activity 3a for the boxes.
19 CFR 113.64, 113.66, 10.41a
How the Bond Amount Is Set
CBP's authority to require bonds comes from 19 U.S.C. 1623. The amount for an Activity 3 bond is set under CBP's bond monetary guidelines (Activity Code 3) (rules as of 2026-09-30; confirm current figures with CBP). The guidelines set minimums, and CBP can require more:
- $50,000 general minimum for continuous international carrier bonds, written in $10,000 increments up to $100,000 and $100,000 increments beyond that.
- Single transaction bond: at least $25,000 for one vessel, vehicle, or aircraft arrival.
- Commercial aircraft under 14 seats (including crew): sized at $5,000 per seat plus $5,000 for the aircraft.
- Commercial aircraft with 14+ seats engaged in international commerce: the greater of $75,000 or twice the average quarterly passenger processing fees collected over the prior four quarters.
- Activity 3 bonds are required in addition to any other bond the same entity holds — a carrier that also imports goods under its own name still needs a separate Activity 1 importer bond.
Small Aircraft Bond Formula (Under 14 Seats)
CBP Bond Monetary Guidelines, Activity Code 3
Fourteen seats and above moves from the per-seat formula to the $75,000-or-2x-fees test.
Cost: the premium is typically a small percentage of the bond amount per year; the carrier sets the final price. Any figure you see is an estimate, and the price depends on the carrier's financials and the surety. See the surety bond cost guide for how premiums work.
Official Federal Requirements
"If any vessel, vehicle, or aircraft, or any master, owner, or person in charge of a vessel, vehicle or aircraft... incurs a penalty, duty, tax or other charge provided by law or regulation, the obligors (principal and surety, jointly and severally) agree to pay the sum upon demand by CBP."U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 19 CFR § 113.64(a) • 19 CFR § 113.64
Filing With CBP's Revenue Division
Confirm your carrier type and bond term
Vessel, vehicle, aircraft, rail, or NVOCC, and whether you need continuous coverage (regular arrivals) or a single transaction bond (a one-off call; 19 CFR 113.64 allows either).
Submit the short quote form above
Tell us your carrier type and term, or request a quote directly.
We match you with a surety
The surety underwriter confirms the bond amount before CBP Form 301 is filed.
The surety files CBP Form 301 with the Revenue Division
Continuous Activity 3 bonds are approved by CBP's Revenue Division; single transaction bonds can clear at the port director's level under 19 CFR 113.12. The bond is emailed after the surety issues it.
First bond of any kind for your company? Read how surety bonding works before applying. It covers underwriting and what sureties check regardless of bond type.
Operating an International Route? Get Bonded Before Your Next Arrival.
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Carrier Bond Questions
Does an airline need a separate bond for every aircraft in its fleet?
Is an international carrier bond the same thing as a freight broker bond?
Does an NVOCC need its own carrier bond, or does the vessel operator's bond cover it?
What actually triggers the $50,000 vessel stow plan penalty?
Can a cruise ship or charter aircraft making a one-time U.S. call use a single transaction bond instead of continuous?
My broker mentioned I might also need a "3a" bond for my shipping containers — is that the same bond?
What is the difference between Activity 3 and Activity 3a?
Does a carrier that crosses the border by road vehicle need an Activity 3 bond?
Operating an International Route? Get Bonded Before Your Next Arrival.
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Related Customs & Carrier Bonds
Customs Bonds Hub
Continuous, single entry, ISF & TIB — the full CBP bond picture
Continuous Import Bond (Activity 1)
$50K minimum — for importers, not carriers
Single Entry Bond
One shipment, often about $100, same-day submission
Temporary Import Bond (TIB)
Duty-free entry for goods that will be re-exported
NVOCC / OTI Bond
Ocean intermediary bonds, related to Activity 3
Custodian Bond (Activity 2)
For parties holding goods for CBP
Freight Broker Bonds (BMC-84)
$75,000 FMCSA bond — different agency, different risk
Freight Forwarder Bond
For forwarders who don't operate the conveyance
Warehouse Bonds
Custodial bonds for bonded warehouse proprietors
Customs Bond Types Compared
Every CBP activity code side by side
Customs Bond Requirements Guide
19 CFR Part 113 rules explained in plain English
Customs Bond Calculator
Estimate an importer bond from annual duties
Surety Bond Cost Guide
How premium is priced across every bond type
How Surety Bonding Works
Underwriting basics for your first bond
Sources (rules as of 2026-09-30)
- 19 CFR 113.64, international carrier bond conditions: Cornell LII / eCFR
- 19 CFR 113.66, instruments of international traffic bond (Activity 3a): Cornell LII
- 19 CFR 10.41a, instruments of international traffic: Cornell LII
- 19 U.S.C. 1623, CBP authority to require bonds: uscode.house.gov
- CBP, How CBP Sets Bond Amounts (bond monetary guidelines, Activity Code 3): cbp.gov
Bond amounts and legal statements on this page are as of 2026-09-30. Confirm current figures with CBP.
All content is researched from official state and federal sources (.gov). BuySuretyBonds.com works with Treasury-listed surety carriers.
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