Who we are
Customs-Bonds.com is the dedicated U.S. customs bond platform of Janus Assurance Re. It exists to do one thing well: place CBP-acceptable surety bonds, across every activity code, for importers, customs brokers, carriers, warehouses, foreign trade zone operators and marine terminals, and to do it in days rather than weeks.
Underwriting is performed by Surety One, Inc., which serves as Janus Assurance Re's managing general agent and has underwritten customs bonds since 1995. Bonds are executed on Treasury-listed surety paper and transmitted to CBP electronically.
How we work
- Every CBP activity code is written in-house, including the bespoke instruments for ITC exclusion orders (Activity Code 12) and marine terminal operators (Activity Code 17).
- Standard and non-standard programs run under one roof, so an applicant who falls outside standard parameters is placed, usually with collateral, rather than declined.
- Every submission is acknowledged the same business day. Clean standard files are typically on file with CBP in one to three business days.
- Underwriters work in English and Spanish.
Where we are
Customs-Bonds.com / Surety One, Inc.
404 Ave. de la Constitución, Suite 708
San Juan, PR 00901
Toll-free (800) 373-2804 · San Juan (787) 333-0222 · Raleigh (919) 859-5294
underwriting@customs-bonds.com
About the author
The content on this site, and the practitioner's guide it is drawn from, is written by C. Constantin Poindexter, founder of Surety One, Inc. and chief executive of Janus Assurance Re.
He has underwritten surety and reinsurance for more than thirty years and is a licensed attorney. He holds the JD and MA degrees and the CPCU, AFSB, ARe, ASLI, AINS and AIS designations from The Institutes. He is the author of The Contractor's Guide to Surety Bonds and of A Practitioner's Guide to U.S. Customs Bonds, available on this site in English, Spanish, Chinese and Hindi.
He writes in English and Spanish and reviews the pages here for accuracy against 19 CFR Part 113 and current CBP practice. Corrections are welcome at underwriting@customs-bonds.com.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the surety on a Customs-Bonds.com bond?
Bonds are placed on Treasury-listed (Circular 570) surety paper through Surety One, Inc., managing general agent for Janus Assurance Re. The surety and its three-digit code appear on the bond CBP receives.
Is Customs-Bonds.com a broker or an underwriter?
An underwriter. Applications are reviewed and bonds are issued by Surety One's underwriting staff, not brokered to a third party.
Do you work with customs brokers?
Yes. Many of our principals come to us through their licensed customs broker, who may execute the bond as attorney-in-fact.