Customs Broker – What Exactly Is It?   by Rizvana Abdul

in Careers    (submitted 2012-01-24)

You might have more about customs brokers, but have you ever thought of knowing who exactly are they? Are they associated with the government? They can be classified as an association, group, partnership, corporations or even as private individuals who work with the license that is empowered by the U.S Customs and Border Protection or the CBP in helping and supporting the exports and imports of the country in meeting the Federal standards. They charge a small fee for the work done from the client by checking the information and submitting the payments to CBP.

It is stated that more than 11,000 licensed customs brokers are present in the U.S presently. They should have experience in different fields including valuation, entry procedures, rates of taxes applicable, fees paid, duty of the merchandise imported, admissibility requirements etc.
When it comes to eligibility for becoming customs broker, here are a few to check out:

• Must have passed the age of 21.
• Must be a United States citizen.
• Must not be a Federal Government employee during the time of application.
• Must have excellent moral character.

If you fit the terms above, you can get in by passing the Customs Broker License Examination. This is an 80 multiple choice questionnaire open test or open book that is based on the special editions - Title 19,Code of Federal Regulations, The Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, Specified Customs Directives and the Customs and Trade Automated Interface Requirements Document. The total time given to complete this exam is 4 hours. To enroll in the examination, the applicant must have the fees paid and form submitted at least 30 days before the commencement of the exam. The venue would be CBP service ports and the dates being first Monday of April and October. In case these noted days being considered as religious holidays, the exam will automatically be postponed to the following Tuesday.

While you enter the examination hall, it is important to have the registration proof, the reference material that is advised for the exam and also picture identification. The pass score for this exam is 75 percent or more. If failed, you can retake the same exam as many times until you pass it.

Once this is done, the next step would be to fill the broker license application and submit it to the concerned authority with the fees noted. This application goes to CBP and once approved you will have your dreams fulfilled!

About the Author

There are plenty of them as mentioned above to serve your needs and one among the best customs brokers team I came across were the www.ucbroker.com.au who are ready to assist you.