---
title: "EIN (Employer Identification Number)"
description: "An EIN is a tax ID that the US government uses to identify business entities located in the US. It is used by Customs to associate entities with their import or export dealings such as Customs bonds, Customs entries, and ISF filings."
language: en
canonical: https://www.flex.thisisbrew.com/glossary/employer-identification-number/
lifecycle: live
dateModified: 2026-08-20T06:44:09Z
topics:
  - "Customs & Compliance"
  - "Customs Brokerage"
---

# EIN (Employer Identification Number)

An EIN is a tax ID that the US government uses to identify business entities located in the US. It is used by Customs to associate entities with their import or export dealings such as Customs bonds, Customs entries, and ISF filings.

## What is an EIN?

An EIN is a tax ID that the US government uses to identify business entities located in the US. This is used by Customs to associate entities with any of their import or export dealings such as Customs bonds, Customs entries, ISF filings, etc.

Foreign importers can obtain a Customs Assigned Importer Number (CAIN) for these purposes.

If you don't have an EIN, you will be assigned a CAIN.

Back to the [full glossary](https://www.flex.thisisbrew.com/glossary/).

---

*This is a markdown version of [https://www.flex.thisisbrew.com/glossary/employer-identification-number/](https://www.flex.thisisbrew.com/glossary/employer-identification-number/) for AI/LLM consumption.*