A customs agent or broker is an individual or company that makes customs declarations on behalf of an importer or exporter of goods. A majority of businesses engaged in importing and exporting goods find it complex and time consuming to handle the declaration and clearance process.
Customs agents look after business transactions related to the import and export of goods at the customs station at the various stages of entry or departure of any shipment. In simple words, these agents are responsible for dealing with the formal procedures and formalities of customs necessary for import or export of the goods. Most of the companies nowadays hire a customs broker or Brexit service provider for customs clearance as it is beneficial in many ways;
- A customs agent helps in completing the formalities involved in the process of documentation, calculation of duties, country specific rules and regulations, and payments to revenue.
- These agents make sure that goods are cleared within reasonable time and at the reasonable prices.
- They handle all the issues related to tariff treatment, trade agreements, valuation, compliance, marking of imported goods, classification issues, assessment of duties, anti-dumping, and refunds.
- These professionals are well versed with regulatory and statutory requisites. They are up to date with any changes in the rules so they can provide the right guidance to clients.
- The broker custom agents usually have connections and experience with customs authorities and a better understanding of the procedures to make the whole process easy, quick and convenient.
- Custom agents are also equipped with technology for managing the shipments of your company. They have requisite experience and expertise to assist in implementing the approaches and custom clearing process. They ensure you have all the support you need to be able to manage declarations directly.
- These professionals provide customs designed solutions to support businesses importing from or exporting to the UK post-Brexit. It saves you time on paperwork, enables you to clear your goods faster, and keeps you compliant and audit ready.
The success of an international business largely depends upon its capability to meet the cross-border contract with their customers and suppliers. Errors on customs declarations are a major reason that goods get blocked at the customs. Also, the post Brexit situation regarding customs procedures is still unclear to many businesses. The changing geopolitical landscape requires traders to reorganize themselves for new cross-border procedures. In such a situation, custom brokers help clients to identify new procedures and make their arrangements accordingly. When you are looking for custom brokers or Brexit service provider, it is prudent to look for agencies having years of expertise in the industry. You should also check if the agency specializes in any particular business niche or they focus on the same area as your business, and have a good reputation in the industry.
