BOLRADAR TRADE INTELLIGENCE
CBP Live Data Feed
BOLRADAR
CBP Live Data Feed
Help Center

Frequently Asked Questions

Find instant answers to common questions or open a ticket with support.

1. Where does this trade data come from?
All information is derived directly from official U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) public manifest registries via the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). It is 100% legal, regulated, and verified commercial data. No proprietary or classified databases are accessed.
2. Does this include Air, Sea, and Land freight?
Our core engine processes global maritime (ocean freight) import manifests entering all major United States ports, which accounts for over 80% of high-volume international trade. Air cargo and land border crossings are not currently tracked.
3. How often is the database updated?
Our customs feed synchronizes every 24 hours. You will always receive the most up-to-date information available from the official CBP updates within your active 90-day audit window.
4. What is the difference between a Brand search and a Product/HS-Code search?

The two modes target different commercial objectives:

Brand / Company Search ($19 USD): Audits a specific brand name or competitor (e.g. Nike, Apple, Zara). This searches the manifest databases for that exact company as the importer or consignee, unmasking their specific manufacturing plants, logistics patterns, and suppliers.

Product / HS-Code Search ($29 USD): Queries a generic product term or Harmonized System code (e.g. "cotton shirts", "8711.60"). Instead of targeting one brand, it extracts a wider sample of trade logs across the sector. This mode dynamically synthesizes two tailored layouts based on your role: Dossier A (Sourcing Mode) if you are looking for direct overseas factories, or Dossier B (Sales Mode) if you are mapping out US wholesale buyers to pitch your production.

5. How are the strategic executive verdicts and metrics compiled?
Our platform utilizes a dual-engine architecture. First, our deterministic backend processes, cleans, and computes raw customs manifests to guarantee 100% mathematical accuracy in weights, seasonality charts, and country rankings. Second, our advanced semantic analysis models synthesize these metrics to compile predictive supply chain risk signals, alternative routing advice, and corporate outreach playbooks. You receive an institutional-grade, human-readable intelligence dossier in minutes.
6. Is this a monthly subscription and what are the pricing tiers?
No. BOLRadar has no recurring monthly subscriptions, contracts, or hidden fees. We operate on a transparent pay-per-report model:
  • $19 USD per Brand / Company Search: Unlocks a comprehensive competitor supply chain audit (including factory reliance diagnostics, direct supplier profiling, and cargo composition analytics).
  • $29 USD per Product / HS-code Search: Unlocks a multi-module trade intelligence blueprint dynamically customized to your business objective (Dossier A for overseas factory sourcing or Dossier B for US wholesale client acquisition).
7. What are Dossier A (Manufacturers) and Dossier B (US Importers)?

Structured exclusively for our Product & HS-Code Market Reports ($29 USD), our data engine dynamically customizes the intelligence layout based on your commercial objective:

  • Dossier A (Supplier Intelligence): Optimized for Buyers and Sourcing Managers. It focuses on unmasking the exact offshore factories producing that commodity, providing verified manufacturer profiles, dependency diagnostics, and factory outreach tools.
  • Dossier B (Market & Client Intelligence): Optimized for Sellers and Export Directors. It focuses on identifying who is actively buying that commodity in the US, profiling high-volume wholesale importers, and providing commercial pitching frameworks.
8. Can I get a refund if I don't like the report?

No. Due to the digital, instant-access, and downloadable nature of our trade intelligence dossiers, all sales are final. Once our processing engine aggregates the customs data and compiles the report to your screen or email inbox, we cannot issue refunds or cancellations under any circumstances.

To ensure complete transparency and confidence before purchasing, we display the exact structural modules of your custom report on the payment terminal and provide a downloadable sample dossier for free, allowing you to evaluate the precise format, data depth, and premium design of our blueprints beforehand.

9. Can I audit non-US brands?
Yes. While European and Asian customs registries are strictly private, international trade is interconnected. If a global brand (from Europe, Asia, or Australia) imports goods into the United States, their complete overseas supplier footprint is exposed through their US maritime manifests. BOLRadar captures their global supply chain the moment their cargo touches a US port.
10. I'm not based in the United States. Can I still use BOL Radar?
Absolutely — BOL Radar is used by professionals in over 50 countries. Since the United States is the world's largest import market, its customs records reveal the supplier networks, factory sources, and trade routes used by the biggest global brands.

Here's how international users benefit:
  • Manufacturers in Asia — Discover which US retailers and distributors are importing products in your category, then pitch them directly with data-backed proposals.
  • European Sourcing Agents — Find the exact same factories that supply Nike, Zara, or IKEA by analyzing their US import manifests. Contact those factories for your own production.
  • Latin American Exporters — Identify active US buyers for your commodity (coffee, textiles, automotive parts) and see their import volumes and frequency.
  • Middle Eastern Traders — Validate supplier claims by checking if a factory actually exports to major US brands as they advertise.

The intelligence is global — only the customs gateway is American.
11. What if my search yields zero or very few records?
If your specific brand or product keyword does not trigger any active maritime manifests in the last 90 days, you will not be charged. Our system checks data availability before processing payment. We also display the exact number of manifests found and the true aggregate cargo weight on the preview dashboard before you make a payment, so you can decide whether to unlock the report.
12. How long does it take to process and deliver the report?
Once your payment is securely processed, our automated data engine immediately begins cleaning the manifests, mapping supplier/buyer networks, and structuring your intelligence dossier. In general, it takes within 5-15 minutes to fully synthesize and deliver the PDF report directly to your screen and email inbox.
13. Why do raw customs records sometimes contain unrelated products?

U.S. Customs manifest records often suffer from "logistics contamination". Major freight forwarders and NVOCCs (Non-Vessel Operating Common Carriers) frequently bundle cargo from hundreds of different companies under a shared customs bond or consolidated maritime bill of lading.

This means generic databases will often erroneously show global brands importing unrelated goods — like industrial chemicals, bulk food products, or consumer electronics — alongside their actual inventory. This is not an error in the data; it is a structural reality of how international maritime logistics operates.

14. How does BOL Radar handle data contamination and "logistics noise"?

Unlike standard trade directories that just scrape raw, noisy data, BOLRadar features a proprietary Two-Tier AI Cleansing Layer designed specifically to combat this industry-wide problem:

  • Layer 1 — Pre-Purchase Audit: Before you spend a single dollar, our engine programmatically cross-references company signatures with a semantic analysis of thousands of unique product descriptions to detect anomalies. If contamination is found, you will see an automated warning on the preview page.
  • Layer 2 — Deep Cleansing Agent: After purchase, our advanced AI isolates the genuine factory supply chain and builds an Intermediary Blacklist to separate actual manufacturers from freight forwarder artifacts, delivering a clean, actionable dossier.
15. What does the "Data Anomaly Detected" alert mean on the preview?

Transparency is our core policy. If our Layer 1 AI pre-audit detects that an entity's data is heavily distorted by shared logistics bonds (meaning the raw data contains significant noise from freight forwarders), the platform will display an automated warning before you purchase.

You can still download the report to access our Data Cleansing Playbook, the Intermediary Blacklist (identifying the freight forwarders and consolidators causing distortion), and a Strategic Action Checklist with HS code filtering instructions to locate genuine factories. But we ensure you know the exact signal-to-noise ratio before spending a single dollar.

This feature is unique to BOLRadar — most trade data platforms serve raw, unfiltered noise without any warning.

Need Additional Assistance?

If you have a custom enterprise request or encountered an issue with your report delivery, please use our contact form below or reach out to support@bolradar.com. Our engineering team will respond within 24-48 hours.