When you have to import goods from any part of the world, the first question that people ask is how to clear the products at the border. The best way to do this is to hire a good customs broker. This is because they will know all the rules and regulations of the country from where you plan on importing the goods. They will be able to do the work in safely, efficiently, and in an economical manner.
Who is a Customs Broker?
Like the logistics experts and freight forwarder of export, the licensed customs broker is associations, individuals, and corporations that are regulated and licensed by the customs board.
Do You Need a Customs Broker While Importing?
This entirely depends on your preference. A majority of the companies that import goods find it time-consuming and expensive to travel to the facility where their goods are held for the clearance process to pay the charges that are due and wait for the delivery. The trend today is to leave the process of clearance to the professional.
What is the Work of a Customs Broker?
A licensed customs broker help with the process of documentation, calculation of duties, country specific rules and regulations, and payments to the customs board. They also make sure that the goods are cleared through are cleared in a timely and economical fashion. They usually offer this service at a reasonable fee.
The customs broker generally handle matters related to the entry procedures, tariff treatment, and trade agreement, valuation, compliance, marking of imported goods, classification issues, assessment of duties, anti-dumping, and refunds. They follow the regulatory and statutory requisites. However, not all brokers are capable of processing the entries nationwide. Hence, you need to make proper inquiry before hiring one.
Benefits of a Hiring Customs Brokerage Services
- A customs broker is always up-to-date with the rules, regulation, and policy. They have the required software, technology, and hardware that are needed for managing the shipments of your company. Thus, you will not have to shop around for the necessary resources.
- Apart from submitting a declaration on your behalf. A customs Brokerage Company will also help in reduce the cost, mitigate risk, and improve efficiency. They have the experience to assist in implementing the approaches and process that might offer a competitive edge to your company.
- They generally work closely with international trade and customs official for offering an advice that will benefit you.
When to Contact a Customs Broker?
You need to get in touch with the customs broker before you enter into an international contract. Even though you might have chosen to travel to the facility in order to prepare for a formal declaration of customs all by yourself, it is always better to seek advice from a customs clearance in the planning stage itself. This will help in mitigating the risk that is related to the cross-border business. The success of an international business largely depends on the business’s ability to understand, enforce, and execute the cross-border contract with their customers and suppliers.
