The customs entry timeline in one screen
Release is not the end of an entry. Data and documents begin before arrival, entry and release move the goods, entry summary and duty complete the declaration, and liquidation later finalizes CBP’s treatment subject to available corrections or challenges.
The four-step journey
Follow an import from document intake through arrival, entry, release, entry summary, duty payment, review, correction, and liquidation.
- Prepare before arrival
- File entry and obtain release
- File summary and pay estimated duties
- Monitor review, correction, and liquidation
What the broker checks
- Arrival and entry timing
- Release messages and agency status
- Summary deadlines, payment, and liquidation date
Why it matters
Operational teams optimize for release. Compliance teams must also manage what happens after release.
- Liquidation: CBP’s final computation of duties for an entry, subject to legal procedures.
Official sources
- 19 CFR Part 141 — Entry of Merchandise
- 19 CFR Part 142 — Entry Process
- CBP — Customs Broker License Examination