US Based Customs Brokers Basics

Find out basic information on US customs brokers before importing and exporting goods
By Nikki Davis Working with a US customs broker means working with a private individual, an association, a partnership, or a corporation that is licensed, regulated and empowered by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to help people who import and export goods meet the Federal standards that govern imports and exports in this country. US based customs brokers are the middle men that fill out the appropriate paperwork on behalf of their clients and collect the money on behalf of the CBP. They are a fee based service that can help you maneuver the ins and out of importing and exporting.
 

US custom brokers are valuable to you because they are the experts in their field and can help you with entry and export procedures, requirements, freight classification, valuation and rate information on duties, taxes and fees for merchandise.

To discover more about US based customs brokers basics:

1. Start with US Homeland Security for information on United States customs brokers.

2. Use the Federal portal for United States customs brokers information.

3. Check out U.S. customs brokers tradeshow and association information.

Find out how to become a licensed US customs broker

See what it takes to become a licensed US customs broker. Find out why their skills are so valuable to importers and exporters and/or why you might be interested in entering the field of becoming a licensed customs broker.
Try: Find out basic U. S. Customs and Border Protection Broker information from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Learn about who is eligible and how to go about the process of becoming one if your company is interested in becoming a licensed broker. For those considering taking the test, there are study at home programs like from Logistics Training Systems to help you pass the exam.

Learn how to take advantage of U.S. customs brokers

Make the most of the U.S. Customs Brokers services available. They are the experts in their fields, and they can help answers the questions you don't even know to ask when bringing goods into and out of the country.
Try: Find out from USA.gov about import of goods and about how to use a broker to have your goods cleared. Export.gov also has helpful information on both customs brokers and freight forwarding.

Keep up with the US customs broker industry

Stay abreast of the latest us customs broker industry information by joining an association or going to a trade event. You can also go to a specific broker website and see what news items they track from their website.
Try: Find news, publications, resources and more about US customs brokerage from The National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America. TradePort also has import logistics and customs brokerage basics.

• US customs brokers will help you determine if you need a carnet for your merchandise for the country that you are shipping to as is the case for companies that offer services (e.g. audio visual or computer related) in other countries. Carnets are not necessary in every country, but they basically are the documentation that allow the shipment of goods, equipment or merchandise that is planned to travel out of a country and later return to the original country in its original form. Otherwise, if the goods were to stay in the country that they traveled into, the sender would be taxed. A national customs broker can help answer tricky questions like this and many more that could end up costing your company thousands of dollars if you are not careful, and they are a great service provider to have on your side.