Port of Long Beach logistics, Southern California markets and nationwide trucking.
Get a quoteBonded Warehouse for Port of Los Angeles Cargo
Move uncleared Los Angeles containers across the harbor into bonded storage, defer duty, and withdraw goods as you need them.
A bonded warehouse for Los Angeles imports, across the harbor
Importers whose containers discharge at the Port of Los Angeles can store goods in our bonded warehouse, located in Long Beach on the other side of San Pedro Bay, with duty deferred until each withdrawal for consumption. Goods may stay up to five years from importation under 19 U.S.C. 1557, and goods withdrawn for export generally leave without U.S. duty.
Los Angeles cargo reaches us in one short in-bond move. We pull the container from the terminal in San Pedro, Wilmington or on Terminal Island under our own bonded carrier authority, cross the harbor and receive it into bonded storage. The same company holds custody from the Los Angeles gate to our shelf, so the in-bond names one carrier and one destination.
Why Los Angeles importers use a customs bonded warehouse in Long Beach
The Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach sit side by side, share Terminal Island and together handled more than 20 million TEUs in 2025. For a bonded warehouse Los Angeles importers rely on, the two things that matter most are distance from the terminal and who carries the in-bond. From most Los Angeles terminals our warehouse is a single bridge crossing away, and we carry the in-bond ourselves.
Many importers also receive freight through both ports, because carriers and vessel strings shift between them. For them, a customs bonded warehouse Los Angeles and Long Beach cargo can share gives one bonded inventory pool, one set of entry records and one withdrawal process, whichever port a given container discharges at.
From a Los Angeles terminal to bonded storage
| Stage | What happens | Who handles it |
|---|---|---|
| In-bond filing | IT in-bond filed from the Los Angeles discharge port to our Long Beach facility's FIRMS code | Your customs broker |
| Pickup | Terminal release confirmed, appointment booked, seal verified at the gate | Us, on our own chassis |
| Cross-harbor move | Direct move across the harbor to our warehouse, with no stop at an unbonded yard | Us, under our bond |
| Arrival | Arrival reported in ACE within two business days with our FIRMS code | Us, with confirmation to your broker |
| Warehouse entry | Type 21 warehouse entry filed within 15 calendar days of arrival | Your customs broker |
| Receiving and storage | Unload, count, barcode and store by entry; empty returned toward the ocean carrier | Us |
| Withdrawals | Consumption, export or transfer withdrawals in the quantities filed | Broker files; we release and ship |
Typical reasons Los Angeles importers use bonded storage
| Situation | How bonded storage helps |
|---|---|
| Duty-heavy goods that sell over several months | Duty is paid on each withdrawal, at the rate in effect that day, instead of on the full container at entry |
| Goods that may be re-exported through a Los Angeles terminal | A withdrawal for export sends them back to the port without U.S. duty, subject to special USMCA rules for some goods sent to Canada or Mexico |
| Entry held for a document, ruling or partner-agency review | The container leaves the terminal and stops demurrage while the broker resolves the issue |
| Freight split across Los Angeles and Long Beach discharges | Both streams land in one bonded inventory with one set of records |
| Goods that need remarking or repacking before entry | Manipulation is possible under bond with a prior CBP Form 3499 permit, short of manufacturing |
Timing for Los Angeles containers headed to bonded storage
Three clocks run on a Los Angeles container bound for bonded storage. Terminal free time starts at discharge, and the in-bond should be filed before it ends so the pickup can be booked without paying storage. Once we out-gate and deliver, arrival must be reported within two business days, and the broker then has 15 calendar days to file the warehouse entry before general order rules apply.
The 30-day in-transit limit on the in-bond itself is rarely a concern for a cross-harbor move, which normally takes a single day. The practical constraint is appointment availability at busy Los Angeles terminals, which is why we ask for the last free day at booking.
Example: a Terminal Island discharge held for a ruling
Example with hypothetical numbers: an electronics importer has two containers discharged on Terminal Island, waiting on a classification decision that could move the duty rate by several percentage points. Rather than leave the boxes at the terminal, the broker files ITs to our warehouse. We pull both the next day, unload them and return the empties. When the ruling arrives three weeks later, the broker files withdrawals at the correct classification and we ship the goods to the importer's Inland Empire distribution center by truckload.
Getting Los Angeles bonded storage goods to market
Withdrawn goods leave our warehouse on the same freeway network that serves the Los Angeles basin.
- Local deliveries to customers and DCs in Carson, Compton and the rest of Southern California
- Truckload moves to the Inland Empire and nationwide by FTL or LTL
- Export withdrawals returned to a Los Angeles or Long Beach terminal for loading on an outbound vessel
- Released goods moved into our general warehousing, or transloaded near the Port of Los Angeles into domestic trailers
What to send for Los Angeles bonded storage
- Bill of lading, container number, Los Angeles terminal and last free day
- Your customs broker's contact for the in-bond, warehouse entry and withdrawals
- Packing list with SKUs, carton counts and pallet configuration
- Expected storage period and how you plan to withdraw: one release, waves or ongoing small lots
- Any handling needed under bond, so a Form 3499 request can be prepared early
Related bonded services
The full operating detail of our bonded facility, including our recordkeeping and withdrawal process, is on the Long Beach bonded warehouse page. For how the cross-harbor pickup works, see bonded drayage from the Port of Los Angeles. The national bonded warehousing service page covers cost drivers and how to decide whether duty deferral fits your freight.
Frequently asked questions
Is your bonded warehouse in Los Angeles?
Our customs-bonded warehouse is in Long Beach, across the harbor from the Port of Los Angeles terminals. It serves cargo from both ports, and Los Angeles containers reach it in a single short in-bond move.
Can an in-bond from the Port of Los Angeles go to a warehouse in Long Beach?
Yes. Your broker files the in-bond from the Los Angeles discharge port to our facility's FIRMS code. We carry it under our bond and report arrival at our facility.
How long can goods stay in bonded storage?
Up to five years from the date of importation under 19 U.S.C. 1557 and 19 CFR 144.5, with longer periods only if CBP grants an extension for good cause.
Can I store containers from both Los Angeles and Long Beach in one bonded inventory?
Yes. Each container comes in under its own entry, but all of it is stored and tracked in one warehouse management system, so you see one inventory regardless of discharge port.
Can bonded goods be exported back out through the Port of Los Angeles?
Yes. Your broker files a withdrawal for export, and we return the goods to the Los Angeles terminal for loading. Goods withdrawn for export generally owe no U.S. duty.
Does bonded storage stop demurrage on a Los Angeles container?
Terminal demurrage stops when the container leaves the Los Angeles terminal under the in-bond. Detention on the ocean carrier's equipment continues until the empty is returned, so we unload promptly after arrival.
Can goods be relabeled while in bonded storage?
Yes, with a prior CBP permit on Form 3499. Goods can be cleaned, sorted, repacked or otherwise changed in condition, but not manufactured. Relabeling that can wait until after release does not need the permit.
What duty rate applies when I withdraw goods?
The rate in effect on the date of withdrawal for consumption. If rates change while goods are in storage, the new rate applies to later withdrawals.