Customs Brokerage

Customs Brokerage

A licensed Customs Broker (CB) assists importers and exporters to meet their federal requirements for international shipments.

A customs broker (CB) is a private individual, partnership, association, or corporation licensed, regulated and empowered by the government to help importers and exporters in meeting government requirements related to imports and exports. They must have knowledge in the entry procedures, admission requirements, classification, and valuation, rates of duty, and applicable taxes and fees for imported merchandise. They are responsible for ensuring that they comply and provide appropriate guidance to comply, with the relevant trade laws and regulations.

As they are licensed by a country’s Customs and Border Protection, they must keep their license current and retain a customs permit for each district in which they conduct business. Customs officials can also issue fines and penalties for brokers who disregard duties or wilfully violate laws.

CBs handle issues related to:

• The Harmonized Tariff Classification System (HTSA) of the country
• Tariff treatments and trade agreements that can lower duty rates or set other limits for particular goods
• Compliance with applicable rules and regulations Determining the valuation and classification of goods Assessment of products for duties
• Marking imported goods to indicate the country of origin
• Handling duty drawbacks or the refund of tariffs, taxes, and other fees on certain exports

Protection against anti-dumping and countervailing duties