Customs clearance at New York and Newark

New York and Newark file under a single CBP port code, 4601, and that one port of entry spans two states. Most of the container terminals are physically in New Jersey, at Port Newark, Elizabeth and Bayonne, with Staten Island and Brooklyn on the New York side. The entry names 4601 wherever in the harbour your box lands.

CBP port code: 4601
CBP district: 46
Official CBP name: New York/Newark Area, Newark, New Jersey

The port of New York is mostly in New Jersey

This is not a technicality, it is the thing people get wrong when they try to reason about the port from its name. CBP's own port office for 4601 is in Elizabeth, New Jersey. The large container terminals are on the New Jersey side of the harbour.

For an entry it makes no difference which state the terminal sits in, because the port of entry covers both. It makes a great deal of difference for drayage, for where your goods physically go, and for anybody trying to guess at the address.

JFK is a different port of entry, with a different code

Ocean freight into the harbour files under 4601. Air freight into John F. Kennedy International Airport files under 4701. They are separate ports of entry.

An importer bringing goods into the New York market by both air and ocean is filing under two port codes, and the records should show two. This is the same pattern as Miami, where the seaport is 5201 and the airport is 5206.

Several competing terminal operators, which cuts both ways

Unlike a state operated port such as Virginia or Georgia, the terminals here are run by several different private operators. Each has its own gate, its own appointment rules, its own free time and its own invoices.

That means the answer to almost any operational question at this port starts with which terminal. It also means there is no single escalation path when something goes wrong. Tell us the terminal with the bill of lading rather than after.

A cargo facility charge that is not a customs charge

The port authority levies a per container cargo facility charge which carriers pass through to you. It is not duty, it is not the merchandise processing fee, and it is not collected by your broker.

Rates are revised, so take the current figure from the published tariff rather than from any article, including this one.

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FAQ

What is the CBP port code for New York and Newark?

4601, a single port of entry that spans both New York and New Jersey. CBP's port office for it is in Elizabeth, New Jersey.

Is the port of New York actually in New Jersey?

Most of the container terminals are, yes: Port Newark, Elizabeth and Bayonne. Staten Island and Brooklyn are on the New York side. One CBP port of entry covers the whole harbour, so the entry is 4601 either way.

Does my air freight into JFK file under 4601?

No. JFK is a separate port of entry at 4701. If you import into New York by both air and ocean you are filing under two port codes, exactly as an importer using both PortMiami and Miami International Airport files under 5201 and 5206.

Which terminal is my container on and does it matter?

It matters a great deal here, because several private operators run the terminals and each sets its own gate rules, appointments, free time and invoices. Send us the terminal along with the bill of lading.

Air or ocean, and which terminal?

Those two answers decide your port code and your operational reality at this harbour. Send the bill of lading and we will take it from there.

Other ports in this tier