What is a Customs Broker?

What is a Customs Broker ?

Customs Brokers are private individuals, partnership, associations or corporations, licensed, regulated and empowered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to assists importers and exporters in meeting Federal Requirements governing imports and exports.

A customs broker is a professional who provides expert services by arranging the customs clearance for customers during a shipment. The main role of a customs broker is merely to collect information about a shipment(country of origin, tariff classification, destination, supplier, intended use, etc.) filling out paperwork and making sure to follow all the rules and compliance's in order to expedite the processes necessary for the shipment's release at a port of entry. Customs brokers tender required paperwork and bills to U.S. Customs and Border Protection on behalf of the importer.

Customs clearance is no simple task, trade regulations vary from country to country and sometimes they even differ from port to port.

The customs broker charge a fee for providing customs services what varies with the size and complexity of the work it performs.

Qualifications

US Customs broker licenses are issued and overseen by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The requirements governing US Customs broker licenses, including eligibility, are laid out in Title 19 Part 111 of the United States Code of Federal Regulations (19 CFR 111) (cited from Wikipedia)

What is a Freight Forwarder?

Freight forwarder is an expert or a company specializing in organizing the shipping and storage of goods on behalf of an individual or a business.

Freight forwarders are an intermediary service between shippers and transport services, ensuring a smooth process regarding shipments arrival within the established time frame.