Quality Customs Broker, Inc.
What is a Customs Broker?
The customs broker is a highly trained import professional. Licensed by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the customs broker must possess thorough knowledge of tariff schedules and U.S. Customs Service regulations and keep abreast of the amendments made through constant changes in the law and administrative regulations.
The complexity of the job is evident when one considers that for every shipment entering the United States, there is an official greeting: 500 pages of Customs regulations and thousands of tariff items. The customs broker must be well versed in determining the proper classifications and dutiable value and be fully aware of the vast number of commodities subject to quotas. Many customs brokers help clients choose modes of transportation and appropriate carriers that require analysis of a vast body of data.
They also provide assistance to importers in assigning shipments the best routes. There are estimates for landed costs, payments of goods through draft, letters of credit, insurance and restrictions - delivery of cargo if there is more than one port of destination.
In dealing with Customs, the customs broker must be aware of any potential problem involving every entry item represented, including cargo handling. This includes all factors affecting appraisement, exchange rates and the many regulations concerning calculation of duties.
The customs broker's operations often transcend Customs, calling for contact with more than 40 other government agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture on meat import questions, the Consumer Product Safety Commission on vehicle emission standards or the Food and Drug Administration on product safety.