Customs broker

How it is used

The usual US term; in the UK and the EU 'customs agent' or 'customs representative' is more common. A broker classifies goods, calculates duties and deals with questions from customs. Many freight forwarders also offer brokerage services.

Example sentences

1. Our customs broker says the goods need an import licence before they can be released.

2. Please send the commercial invoice and packing list directly to the customs broker.

Common collocations

• licensed customs broker
• appoint a customs broker
• customs brokerage
• broker fees

Related terms

• customs clearanceThe process of getting official approval from customs for goods to enter or leave a country, including declaring them, paying duties and passing any inspections.
• customs declarationThe official form, now usually electronic, in which an importer or exporter tells customs what the goods are and states their value, origin and HS code.
• HS codeA number from the Harmonized System, the international classification of goods run by the World Customs Organization, used to identify products for duties and trade statistics.
• freight forwarderA company that organizes shipments for its customers: it books space with carriers, prepares documents and arranges customs, insurance and delivery.
• customs dutyA tax charged by a government on goods when they are imported, and in some cases exported, usually calculated as a percentage of their customs value.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

• customs broker · International Trade

More terms: Customs

• bonded warehouse