In conjunction with CBP, C.A. Shea now offers an expedited process for filing bond paperwork. Traditionally, bond forms and related documents would be e-mailed to the broker, who in turn forwarded them to the principal for completion. The principal would then sign and return the original documents with original (wet) signatures back to Shea for filing with Customs. In many instances where the bonds were time sensitive, this could lead to delays in the timely filing of bonds. As a leading intermediary and filer of Custom bonds, Shea now participates with CBP in the paperless processing of bonds by filing imaged copies of the executed bonds via e-mail. CBP has initiated this program to process and store bond documents electronically rather than maintain paper files. The e-mailed copy of the bond is then reviewed by CBP in accordance with the bond guidelines and the filer is notified via e-mail of the acceptance or rejection of the bond. This new process, which has been in effect since January 2011, has greatly enhanced the level of service we are able to provide, along with reducing the amount of processing time to put new bonds in effect.
