A Port of Entry is a CBP-designated location where merchandise may legally enter the United States and where entry summary filings can be processed. The list is established under 19 CFR Part 101 and includes airports, seaports, land border crossings, and inland points.
There are roughly 328 official U.S. ports of entry, ranging from the Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach (the largest containerized port complex in the country) to small inland CBP offices at locations like Dalton, Georgia.
Ports of entry are organized into 20 CBP Field Offices, each managing the ports within its geographic area. Each port is assigned a 4-character schedule code used on every entry document — for example:
- 2704 — Los Angeles, CA
- 2709 — Long Beach, CA
- 4601 — New York/Newark, NJ
- 5301 — Houston, TX
- 3901 — Chicago, IL
The port of entry determines:
- Which CBP officers process the entry
- Which CBP local "Port Director" interpretation applies in marginal cases
- Where merchandise is physically examined if held
- Where any merchandise is destroyed, abandoned, or returned
For multi-port-eligible shipments (especially in-bond movements), the importer or its customs broker chooses the port of entry as part of entry planning. Differences in CBP officer practice and inspection backlogs can make port choice operationally meaningful.