Trump tariffs leave importers with record-breaking $3.5 billion U.S. Customs bond funding shortfall

President Trump’s tariffs have led to a surge in revenue for the government, but also a record-breaking financial shortfall among importers required to buy special bonds to guarantee payment of trade duties.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection tells CNBC that for fiscal 2025 it has identified 27,479 customs bond “insufficiencies” valued at nearly $3.6 billion, double the 2019 level when insufficiencies first soared due to Trump’s first-term trade policies.
Importers are unable to receive their freight if their customs bonds, issued by insurers, are not sufficiently funded