Customs brokerage

What is customs brokerage?

Customs brokerage in transportation refers to clearing goods through customs. Importers, exporters and regulatory agencies rely on customs brokerage services for international and cross-border trade shipping.

A customs brokerage acts on behalf of its clients to help ensure all goods in a shipment comply with necessary regulatory requirements.

Throughout the transportation lifecycle, a customs brokerage typically manages the following customs compliance and clearance tasks:

  • Preparing documents such as invoices, packing lists and certificates of origin

  • Gaining clearance for goods by ensuring they meet regulatory requirements

  • Facilitating communication between importers, exporters and customs authorities

  • Resolving issues that arise as goods move through customs processes and approvals

  • Coordinating with logistics providers on shipping timelines and customs requirements

  • Staying up to date on regulations, compliance requirements and trade policies

  • Guiding clients around or through potential customs roadblocks

What is a customs broker?

Customs brokers facilitate the clearance of goods across borders and are responsible for helping those items move safely and legally through the customs process. Freight forwarders, third-party logistics (3PL) providers, freight carrier companies and licensed individuals typically offer these compliance services.

What does a customs brokerage do?

Customs brokers serve as a facilitator and point of communication between parties involved in global trade and compliance. These services are important to the health of the global supply chain and reduce risk for shippers.


Classifying goods

Customs brokers pinpoint the exact Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) codes for goods. This step determines the duties, taxes and regulations applicable to each item, so accurate classification is essential to the smooth flow of goods across borders.


Managing documents

Customs brokers handle, complete and submit documentation required for legal international and cross-border shipping. Customs compliance processes call for documents such as invoices, customs entries, permits, bills of lading, airway bills and export declarations.


Ensuring compliance

Customs regulations change often, and staying up to date helps clients meet all legal requirements while reducing the risk of delays or penalties.


Valuing goods

Customs brokers determine the value of goods for every shipment they're responsible for. This valuation requires a deep understanding of methods and the creation of supporting documents, and it contributes to duty calculations, tariff classification and overall customs clearance.


Advising customers

Companies with global trade needs rely on customs brokers to guide them proactively and responsively through necessary tasks, requirements and roadblocks.

Customs brokerage responsibilities


Managing the import filing process

Documents and information collected by customs authorities must be accurate, complete and submitted within the required time frame. This multistep process involves preparing, checking, labeling and accurately delivering all necessary documents to the carrier or customs broker.


Completing and managing documentation

Efficient document management cuts down on the potential for delays and fines. It requires customs brokers to prepare all customs clearance documents using systems that can handle declarations, validate information and ensure compliance.


Providing effective communication and expertise

Beyond filing and documentation tasks, customs brokers play a critical role as facilitators of global customs and trade compliance. As facilitators and experts in this part of supply chain management, customs brokers must communicate clearly and often with clients and regulatory parties. Whenever customs and compliance requirements change, or if challenges occur, customs brokerages should be a reliable source of truth for their clients.

How technology helps customs brokerages and importers streamline U.S. customs clearance

Global trade heavily relies on customs brokers to keep import documents moving under the pressure of tight timelines. The right technology gives U.S. importers and customs brokers access to tools that automate customs brokerage workflows, protect profits and enhance communication to improve end-customer experiences—dramatically reducing processing times, minimizing human errors, keeping compliance current, tracking shipments in real time and sharing information with clients quickly.

Technology built for customs brokerage typically includes features and automation tools that reduce manual task load, such as:

  • Automated Brokerage Interface (ABI) to Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) streamlines the submission of customs data, reducing reliance on manual entries and accelerating the customs clearance process

  • Centralized data management organizes all customs-related information in one place, enabling easy access, retrieval and analysis of data and simplifying compliance and document management tasks

  • Compliance tools include capabilities for identifying and screening denied parties, plus automated document management that helps keep filings up to date and in line with current regulations

Beyond core customs brokerage tools, this kind of technology often supports import clearance, export management and transportation execution as well:

  • Import clearance: once goods reach the border, automation and visibility support precise documentation, accurate duty calculation and timely payment, making import clearance faster and easier.

  • Export management: visibility into export rules and documentation, paired with automation and communication tools, helps businesses stay compliant and follow best practices for exporting goods across borders.

  • Cross-border payment support: technology can also help facilitate transactions between buyers and sellers involved in international trade.

  • Transportation execution: tools spanning the entirety of transportation management help turn international logistics tasks into efficient, cost-effective business processes, from multi-currency conversion and real-time ocean freight visibility to claims management and load optimization.

U.S. customs brokers and self-filing importers rely on technology to help ensure accuracy and efficiency across a wide range of filings, including:

  • 7501 Entry Summary

  • Transportation Entry & Manifest of Goods Filing

  • APHIS Core PGA Submission

  • Cargo Release Form 3461 Filing

  • Customs Duty Statement

  • Delivery Order Publishing

  • Document Image System (DIS) Publishing

  • EPA NOA Filing

  • FDA PGA Filing

  • Importer Security Filing (10+2)

  • NHTSA PGA Filing

  • SIMP PGA Filing

  • USDA AMS Filing

Using the right technology helps protect profit margins by delivering end-to-end supply chain visibility and operational efficiency, providing the confidence and agility to navigate a changing logistics landscape.