Once freight has cleared customs, it can stay in a commercial warehouse as long as your storage agreement allows: there is no general time limit. Freight that has not cleared is different: it must go to a bonded facility, and uncleared cargo left at a terminal is eventually sent to a general order warehouse under CBP rules.
Cleared freight
Standard commercial warehousing has no regulatory time cap. Practical limits come from your contract (minimum and maximum terms, long-term storage surcharges), the commodity's own shelf characteristics, and insurance terms.
Uncleared freight and bonded storage
A customs bonded warehouse allows storage of uncleared imported goods with duty deferred until withdrawal, under specific time limits set by regulation. That is a different facility type and a different contract from ordinary industrial warehousing.
General order
Cargo that remains unclaimed or uncleared at the port past the allowed window is moved to a general order warehouse at the importer's expense, and can ultimately be sold or destroyed. Avoiding general order is one of the most common urgent reasons importers look for warehouse space quickly.
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