Customs Broker

A customs broker is a person or company licensed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to conduct "customs business" for importers: preparing and filing entries, classifying goods under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule, valuing them, paying duties and fees, and dealing with CBP on the importer's behalf. A commercial import entry into the United States may only be filed by a licensed broker or by the importer of record acting for itself.

What a customs broker does

• Classifies the goods (HTS code) and determines the duty rate, including Chapter 99 trade-remedy layers and any antidumping or countervailing duty
• Files the entry (CBP Form 3461) and entry summary (CBP Form 7501) through ACE, and declares any free trade agreement claim
• Arranges the customs bond and pays duties, taxes and fees on the importer's behalf
• Handles partner-agency requirements such as FDA, USDA, EPA or CPSC filings
• Responds to CBP requests for information and examinations, and files post-summary corrections and protests

How brokers are licensed (19 CFR part 111)

• Who can apply: a U.S. citizen at least 21 years old, not a federal employee, of good moral character
• The exam: the Customs Broker License Examination, 80 multiple-choice questions in 4.5 hours, 75 percent to pass, given on the fourth Wednesday of April and October. The HTS, 19 CFR and CBP's entry instructions are allowed as reference
• Companies: licensed through a qualifying officer or partner who holds an individual license
• Keeping the license: brokers transact customs business under a national permit (19 CFR 111.19) and must complete 36 continuing-education credits per three-year period (20 in the current 2025–2027 period, the first under the rule). They must also file a triennial status report with CBP by the end of February 2027, or the license is revoked by operation of law

CBP publishes lists of licensed brokers by port.

Power of attorney

Before a broker can transact customs business in your name it must hold a valid power of attorney from you (19 CFR 141.46); the broker keeps it with its records rather than filing it with CBP. The POA is what lets the broker sign entries and bind you as importer of record, so it is granted to a named broker and should be revoked when you change brokers. A forwarder needs a separate authorization to file export declarations in AES.

What a customs broker is not

A broker does not move your cargo. It is not a freight forwarder or an NVOCC, so it does not book vessel space, issue bills of lading or arrange trucking. Nor is it the importer of record: the broker files as the importer's agent, and legal responsibility for the declaration, the classification and the duty stays with the importer. Many forwarders, including Airlift, coordinate customs through licensed brokers rather than holding a broker license themselves.

What a customs broker costs

Brokers charge a per-entry fee plus line-item, bond, partner-agency and disbursement fees, and more for reconciliation, protests or binding-ruling work; duties and CBP fees are passed through at cost. Fees scale with the number of tariff lines and agencies on the entry, so a clean commercial invoice with one HTS line per product is cheaper to clear than a mixed one.

How Airlift works with customs brokers

Airlift is an FMC-licensed NVOCC and C-TPAT-certified forwarder, not a customs broker. Its customs clearance service covers document review, HTS classification support, ISF filing and entry coordination through its licensed broker network at the port of entry, and you can nominate your own broker instead. Estimate the duty for your HTS code with the tariff simulator, or find the code with the HTS code finder.