What happens when cargo goes to General Order
Unclaimed freight at the Port of Charleston, the 15-day window, and how a release works.
C&C Warehouse, family-run since 1998, is a CBP-designated General Order facility and a CBP Class 3 bonded warehouse — an importer's private bonded warehouse. The primary building is the Ladson SC warehouse, 60,000 sq ft at 137 Acres Drive, Ladson. The secondary building is the Hanahan SC warehouse, 30,000 sq ft at 1014 Northpointe Industrial Blvd, Hanahan. Together the buildings are 90,000+ sq ft. This page restates the General Order, bonded storage, and FAQ pages. It does not publish a GO fee. Storage, handling, and the move from the terminal are quoted from the documents on that shipment. Use the quote form or call (843) 818-2332.
General Order is unclaimed freight.
A General Order warehouse is a CBP-designated facility that receives freight the port could not get entered, exported, or otherwise cleared in time. That is the definition on the General Order page. General Order is what happens when freight goes unclaimed. It is not bonded storage. C&C Warehouse is a CBP-designated GO facility in Ladson and Hanahan, SC, and also a CBP Class 3 bonded warehouse.
The services page describes the same work in fewer words. When freight goes unclaimed past the 15-day window at the port, CBP moves it to a GO warehouse. The warehouse receives it, holds it, and works with the carrier, the broker, and CBP until it is released or disposed of the way CBP directs. The General Order page says CBP can order that move.
Unclaimed at the port, then General Order.
The window carriers and brokers plan around is 15 days at the port. Cargo arrives at a Port of Charleston terminal, or by air, and is not entered or exported in time. Freight that is still unclaimed after that can be moved into a General Order warehouse. The FAQ states it the same way: when freight sits unclaimed at the port past the 15-day window, CBP can move it to a GO warehouse.
One situation the General Order page names is the entry that was not filed before the port window closed. That freight needs a CBP-designated GO facility. Another is a partial claim. Some of the shipment was entered. The rest is still unclaimed and has to be held under GO until the broker finishes the entry or CBP directs another outcome.
Voluntary bonded storage, involuntary General Order.
On the bonded storage page, bonded storage is voluntary: the importer or their broker elects to place cargo on bond. General Order is involuntary. The FAQ calls bonded storage the voluntary alternative, used before freight ever becomes unclaimed. C&C Warehouse handles both. They are not the same status, and the site keeps them on separate pages.
Class 3 is the importer's private bonded warehouse classification. Imported merchandise can sit without import duty at arrival. Duty is owed when the cargo is withdrawn for US consumption, or not at all if it is re-exported under bond. Under the standard CBP rule stated on the bonded page, cargo can remain up to five years from the date of importation. That five-year window is the bonded rule. It is not the General Order clock. The clock people plan around for unclaimed GO freight is six months from importation, below.
Bonded storage
Voluntary. The importer or broker elects it. Duty is owed when the cargo is withdrawn for US consumption, or not at all if it is re-exported under bond. The bonded page states up to five years from importation.
General Order
Involuntary. Unclaimed freight past the 15-day window at the port can be moved to a GO warehouse. Release generally means a Customs entry, duties and warehouse charges settled, and CBP authorization. The planning clock for freight that stays unclaimed is six months from importation.
Ocean and air, received under GO documentation.
The services page and the General Order page agree on what is accepted: both ocean and air GO freight, including overweights and partial-claim cargo. Overweights and partial-claim cargo are part of the work, not exceptions sent back.
Receipt is direct from the terminal under GO documentation. The warehouse coordinates the move with the carrier and CBP. For ocean freight, drayage off Wando Welch, North Charleston Terminal, and Hugh K. Leatherman is the same desk. Drayage is the short-haul between those SC Ports Authority terminals and the warehouse. Published miles from both buildings are on the terminal distances guide. The facility page states that both buildings sit within 25 miles of all three ocean terminals. Air GO freight is received as well. The documents the General Order page names are the bill of lading or the air waybill.
An overweight that cannot legally roll inland in one box can be devanned and redistributed the same way any overweight ocean container is reworked. Once the freight is in the building, it sits on the floor, tracked alongside bonded and free cargo. The WMS page says bonded, General Order, and free cargo show under one logon at portal.candcwarehouse.com. Storage and handling are quoted from that shipment's documents. A flat fee is not published.
Release, or the outcome CBP directs.
Release is a Customs process, not just a phone call. The FAQ says release generally means a Customs entry, duties and related charges paid, and the warehouse charges on that shipment settled. The General Order page spells out the same sequence: the importer or broker files the entry, duties and related Customs charges are paid, the warehouse charges on that shipment are settled, and CBP authorizes the release.
After that authorization, the freight can be handed to the importer, to a truck, or into another service on the floor such as devanning, bonded storage, or cross-dock.
If the freight stays unclaimed, CBP can direct sale or destruction. C&C Warehouse follows that instruction and does not auction freight on its own. In general terms, freight that stays unclaimed can be sold at public auction. The timeline warehouses and brokers plan around is six months from importation. Perishable, hazardous, or otherwise at-risk cargo can move faster when CBP directs it. This page will not guess a sale date. Call with the arrival documents and the warehouse will say where that shipment sits.
GO fees are not published. There is no rate card. Storage, handling, and the move from the terminal are quoted from the documents on that shipment — the bill of lading or air waybill, the container number if there is one, and the arrival date. Importers, customs brokers, and carriers use the same number, (843) 818-2332, or information@candcwarehouse.com. For freight already in General Order, have the bill of lading or air waybill, the container or AWB number, the importer of record, and which terminal or airline it arrived on.
The pages this walkthrough is drawn from.
The service page is General Order. The voluntary alternative is bonded storage. Short answers are on the FAQ. Terminal miles are on the terminal distances guide. A number for a specific shipment starts at the quote form.
Questions about unclaimed freight.
What happens when cargo goes to General Order?
A General Order warehouse is a CBP-designated facility that receives freight the port could not get entered, exported, or otherwise cleared in time. General Order is what happens when freight goes unclaimed. It is not bonded storage. C&C Warehouse is a CBP-designated GO facility in Ladson and Hanahan, SC, and also a CBP Class 3 bonded warehouse. The warehouse receives the freight, holds it, and works with the carrier, the broker, and CBP until it is released or disposed of the way CBP directs.
What is the 15-day window for unclaimed freight at the Port of Charleston?
The window carriers and brokers plan around is 15 days at the port. Cargo arrives at a Port of Charleston terminal, or by air, and is not entered or exported in time. Freight that is still unclaimed after that can be moved into a General Order warehouse. The General Order page says CBP can order it into General Order. The services page states that when freight goes unclaimed past the 15-day window, CBP moves it to a GO warehouse.
How is General Order different from voluntary bonded storage?
Bonded storage is voluntary: the importer or their broker elects to place cargo on bond. General Order is involuntary. Bonded storage is the voluntary alternative, used before freight ever becomes unclaimed. On the bonded storage page, imported merchandise can sit without import duty at arrival. Duty is owed when the cargo is withdrawn for US consumption, or not at all if it is re-exported under bond. Under the standard CBP rule stated there, bonded cargo can remain up to five years from the date of importation. That five-year window is the bonded rule. The General Order clock people plan around is six months from importation.
How do you release General Order freight in Charleston?
Release is a Customs process, not just a phone call. Release generally means a Customs entry, duties and related charges paid, and the warehouse charges on that shipment settled. The importer or broker files the entry, duties and related Customs charges are paid, and the warehouse charges on that shipment are settled. CBP then authorizes the release. The freight can go to the importer, to a truck, or into another service on the floor such as devanning, bonded storage, or cross-dock. If CBP directs sale or destruction instead, the warehouse follows that instruction.
What is the six-month General Order clock, and can cargo move sooner?
In general terms, freight that stays unclaimed can be sold at public auction. The timeline warehouses and brokers plan around is six months from importation. Perishable, hazardous, or otherwise at-risk cargo can move faster when CBP directs it. C&C does not auction freight on its own. This page will not guess a sale date. Call with the arrival documents.
What kinds of General Order freight does C&C accept, and how is it received?
Both ocean and air General Order freight, including overweights and partial-claim cargo. Receipt is under GO documentation, and the move is coordinated with the carrier and CBP. Ocean freight can come direct from the terminal. Drayage off Wando Welch, North Charleston Terminal, and Hugh K. Leatherman is the same desk. If only part of a shipment was claimed, the rest stays under GO until the broker finishes the entry or CBP directs another outcome. GO freight that cannot legally roll inland in one box can be devanned and redistributed the same way any overweight ocean container is reworked.
Are General Order fees published?
No. C&C Warehouse does not publish a rate card or a GO fee. Storage, handling, and the move from the terminal are quoted from the documents on that shipment — the bill of lading or air waybill, the container number if there is one, and the arrival date. Call (843) 818-2332 or email information@candcwarehouse.com. Importers, customs brokers, and carriers use the same number. For freight already in General Order, have the bill of lading or air waybill, the container or AWB number, the importer of record, and which terminal or airline it arrived on.
More answers are on the FAQ. To reach the warehouse directly, use contact.
Call with the bill of lading.
GO fees are not printed on this page. Use the quote form or call (843) 818-2332. Hours are Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m..