A record number of U.S. importers are struggling to meet federal financial guarantee requirements tied to tariff payments, leading to an unprecedented $3.5 billion shortfall in customs bond coverage. The surge reflects the mounting impact of tariff policies that have sharply increased duty obligations for companies shipping goods into the United States. Data released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection show that bond “insufficiencies” reached 27,479 cases in fiscal 2025,
