A couple of years ago we wrote a blog about what it means to be a customs broker. TOC Logistics offers customs broker services, which give us the ability to offer more strategic and reliable customer service to our clients.
If you aren’t already partnered with one of the 11,000 licensed customs brokers in America, like TOC Logistics, it may be beneficial for your business to look into one. Simply put, a customs broker will help clear your shipments at the border, but a lot of work goes into making that happen. So let’s look at some of the reasons you should consider working with a customs broker.
Knowledge of complex regulatory requirements
It is difficult and expensive to have personnel that understands import/export services, including logistics, freight forwarding, warehouse and distribution. It’s an expense that most companies can’t afford to take on themselves. Depending on the volume of goods coming into or out of the country, it may be more beneficial to partner with a logistics partner that specializes in customs brokerage.
Skills to facilitate customs clearance
The skill set necessary to facilitate customs clearance is extensive. Just think about it. You need to know how to make sure that all of your shipments leave from and arrive to the right destinations. That means having the skills to navigate the entire customs clearing process, regardless of the port of entry.
Help avoiding unnecessary costs
Rules and regulations at the border are constantly changing. It takes a lot of time to stay up to date on all of the regulations, and if you miss even something small, it can add up to costly delays, fines, and penalties that you otherwise weren’t prepared for. A customs broker has all of the knowledge to navigate these cross-border transactions with ease to make sure you have what you need when you need it.
Correct identification of goods
Customs brokers are well versed in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States Annotated (HTSA). The HTSA provides the applicable tariff rates and statistical categories for all merchandise imported into the United States. It’s based on the international Harmonized System, the global system of nomenclature that is used to describe most world trade in goods.
Put more simply, the HTSA is the schedule that assigns what taxes or duties are imposed on specific goods as they enter a country. If your goods aren’t properly classified, it means they will also not have the correct taxes or duties associated with them, which could end up being a costly mistake for your organization and not one that is not easy to remedy.
This is just a quick overview of some of the more substantial benefits to working with a customs broker. If you’re interested in learning how we could help save you time and money, contact us today or reach out to us on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter.