How long do I have to keep customs records?

Five years from the date of entry, under 19 CFR Part 163. The same five-year minimum generally applies to export records under the EAR and Census rules; the ITAR runs its five years from the expiration of the license or approval.

What is the (a)(1)(A) list?

It is the appendix to 19 CFR Part 163 that names the specific records an importer must maintain and produce on CBP demand — entry summaries, invoices, packing lists, bills of lading, certificates of origin, and related transaction documents.

Who is responsible for keeping import records — me or my broker?

The importer of record. The broker may file the entry, but the legal duty to maintain and produce the records sits with the importer as part of the reasonable-care obligation.

What happens if I can't produce a record CBP asks for?

You can be penalized under 19 U.S.C. § 1509(g) — up to $100,000 per release for a willful failure (or 75% of appraised value, whichever is less) and up to $10,000 for negligence (or 40%, whichever is less) — even if the underlying entry was correct. Recordkeeping is where good compliance is proven or lost, and the rules differ on the import and export side. Reidel Law Firm helps importers and exporters build retention systems that hold up on flat-fee terms. Get an import/export compliance memo.

Trade Compliance Recordkeeping Cheat Sheet

Most U.S. trade records must be kept for five years, and on the import side that clock starts on the date of entry. Recordkeeping is the least glamorous part of trade compliance and the one regulators test first — because the records are how you prove everything else you did was correct. This cheat sheet lays out the retention rules on both the import and export side, what the law actually requires you to keep, and the penalties for not keeping it.

The Import Side: CBP’s Five-Y