The Role of Customs Brokers in the Export Process
May 17, 2007
17 May 2007
The Role of Customs Brokers in the Export Process
The following article was published in exportsource.ca, Export Development Canada’s on-line journal. It is written by Curtis Cook, a Certified International Trade Professional (CITP) and a Partner with Global Trade Solutions. He is the author of Patents, Profits & Power, co-author of Competitive Intelligence and writes extensively on international trade. This article is available on the EDC web site, at:
The most successful leaders in the business world recognize that one of the best ways to build a business is to rely on experts in certain fields. The lawyers conduct the legal work, the accountants manage the financial matters and the engineers design the products.
There are many areas of expertise required in the export process and one of the most important and complex is clearing goods through customs. Exporters can rely on a qualified customs broker to effectively handle the documentation and logistics services required to clear goods through customs.
In most cases, a Canadian exporter will engage the services of a customs broker in Canada, who then works directly with a foreign broker based in the country where the exports are destined. In complex export processes involving multiple foreign destinations en route to the final place of sale, foreign brokers in these countries may be enlisted into the operation as well.
The Canadian Society of Customs Brokers (see www.cscb.ca) offers a valuable list of questions an exporter should ask prior to hiring a licensed customs broker. These questions include level of automation to communicate with Canada Border Services Agency, affiliations with foreign customs brokers, reporting services and release procedures, security options and fees.
As with any relationship that is significant to the export process, the exporter will benefit from asking questions and obtaining references prior to entering into any agreement.
Become an export expert with the help of the Canada Border Services Agency’s Exporting Goods from Canada. This handy customs guide for exporters is available online at exportsource.ca/customs. Or call Team Canada Inc's toll-free Export Information Service at 1 888 811-1119 for more information on exporting your products or services.