Customs Brokerage
Customs Brokerage is a professional service that facilitates the clearance of imported and exported goods through U.S. Customs and Border Protection and other government agencies. A customs brokerage firm represents importers and exporters in meeting regulatory requirements, filing entry documentation, and ensuring that duties, taxes, and fees are properly assessed and paid.
Because customs regulations are complex and frequently updated, customs brokerage services help companies maintain compliance with tariff classification rules, valuation requirements, country-of-origin determinations, admissibility standards, and trade remedy measures such as antidumping, countervailing, Section 301, and Section 232 duties. Brokers transmit entry data electronically through ACE, coordinate with Participating Government Agencies when required, and monitor entries through release and liquidation.
Although importers of record are legally responsible for exercising reasonable care, many companies engage a customs brokerage firm to reduce compliance risk and minimize clearance delays. Effective brokerage support can improve documentation accuracy, enhance audit readiness, and reduce exposure to penalties or post entry corrections.
Key benefits of customs brokerage services include:
- Regulatory compliance management through accurate entry filing and documentation review
- Tariff classification and duty analysis to support correct assessment of duties and trade remedies
- Efficient processing of formal entries and regulated commodities
- Coordination with government agencies for admissibility requirements
- Ongoing monitoring of entries, post summary corrections, and liquidation timelines
In an increasingly enforcement-driven environment, customs brokerage is a critical component of import compliance and supply chain risk management.