What customs clearance actually costs
Three separate sets of charges reach an importer, and only one of them is the broker's. Here is every line, who collects it, and where the money usually goes wrong.
Most brokers won't set this out. We would rather you knew before the invoice arrives.
The cost of clearing an import breaks into three parts: the brokerage fee for preparing and filing the entry, government duties and fees set by statute, and third-party charges from terminals, warehouses and carriers. The brokerage fee is usually the smallest of the three — and the third-party charges are where importers get caught.
Key takeaways
- Duty is set by the HTS classification, so classification decides most of your cost.
- Government fees are statutory. No broker can reduce them.
- Demurrage and storage are the charges importers most often underestimate.
- The lowest brokerage fee is frequently the most expensive overall.
- Landed cost can be estimated before you place the order — and should be.
Every charge, and who collects it
What we charge
Brokerage fees are ours. They are quoted before you commit and itemised on the invoice.
What the government charges
Set by statute and collected by CBP. Nobody discounts these and any broker implying otherwise is misleading you.
What third parties charge
Payable to terminals, warehouses and carriers regardless of who caused the delay. These are the charges that surprise first-time importers.
Why we don't publish a rate card
A single figure would be wrong for most shipments. An entry with one tariff line, no agency involvement and clean documents is a different piece of work from a nine-line regulated entry with a Prior Notice requirement and an FSVP importer to identify. Publishing one number would mean either overcharging the simple shipments or arguing about the complex ones.
What we will do is quote your specific shipment before you commit, itemise every line, and tell you which charges are ours and which are not.
Where the money actually goes wrong
Rarely on the brokerage fee. It goes wrong on a classification that attracts a trade remedy nobody checked for, on a document problem that turns into four days of demurrage, or on an agency requirement discovered after the container landed. Those are worth several years of filing fees, and they are the reason the cheapest quote is so often the most expensive outcome.
Questions
How much does a customs broker charge per entry?
It depends on the entry type, the number of tariff lines, whether a partner agency is involved, and whether ISF is required. A simple single-line entry sits at the low end; a multi-line regulated entry with agency data sits considerably higher. We quote the specific shipment rather than publish a figure that would be wrong for most of them.
Why is my invoice higher than the quote?
Usually because of charges that are not ours. Duty and government fees depend on final classification and value. Demurrage, storage and examination charges depend on what happened at the port. A quote covers our fee and estimates the rest; the estimate moves when the shipment does.
What is the biggest cost most importers underestimate?
Demurrage. Free time at a terminal is short, the daily rate escalates, and it accrues whether the delay was caused by a document problem, an examination or a public holiday. It is also the most avoidable, which is why we push so hard on getting documents early.
Do you mark up duty or government fees?
No. Duty, MPF, HMF and any trade-remedy duties are collected at the amount assessed and remitted to CBP. Our fee is separate and stated separately.
Is the cheapest broker the cheapest option?
Not usually. A low filing fee paid to someone who classifies carelessly, misses an agency requirement or responds slowly to a query costs far more in duty exposure and storage than the fee saved. The filing fee is a small proportion of the landed cost.
Can I estimate landed cost before I order?
Yes, and you should. Send the commodity, origin, value and expected volume and we will work through classification, duty rate, fees and any trade-remedy exposure before you commit to a purchase.
Related
Know the cost before you order.
Classification, duty exposure and fees worked out before you commit to a purchase.