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NCBFAA |
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The Voice of America’s Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders What do Customs Brokers
do? Customs Broker:
The Import Specialist
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 Customs 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 broker must be well-versed in determining proper
classifications and dutiable value, and be fully aware of the vast number
of commodities subject to quotas. Many brokers help clients
choose modes of transportation and appropriate carriers, which require
analyses of a vast body of data. They
also provide assistance to importers in assigning shipments that best
routes. There are estimates
for landed costs, payments of goods through draft, letters of credit
insurance, and re-delivery of cargo if there is more than one port of
destination. In dealing with Customs, the
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 broker’s operation often transcends Customs, calling for contact with over 40 other government agencies, such as the U.S. department of Agriculture (USDA) on meat importation, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on vehicle emission standards or the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on product safety. For more information: The
National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America, Inc. 1200
18th Street, N.W., #901 – Washington, DC 20036
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