Customs is an unavoidable obstacle when you need to get your products into a country, whether as an importer or an exporter. As during any such situation, there lies the necessity of making the decision of whether the company or the business should try to navigate through these waters on their own or whether they should utilize the assistance of a custom broker who can help them sail through the rough seas of entering into another country. The most important thing to check is whether or not the price of doing so has an impact on the total landed cost and whether the benefits of hiring a custom broker outweighs the costs. Read on the concerns of this article to know more on custom brokerage.
Hiring the right custom broker can have a positive impact on your total landing cost
Whenever a business decides to go through this process along, they need to be present at the points of entering a country to receive the goods, tackle the tariffs, the different taxes and the documentation to get the goods moved into the supply chain without having to face any further impediment. It is the shipper who remains liable for the reclassification of the items while moving things from one country to the other. The importer is even responsible for the underlying taxes and documentation.
5 Key factors to know before importing goods
- Getting the release of the goods that will be imported
- Making the required payments for any duties which are applicable
- Receiving, preparing and transmitting the important data and documents
- Keeping correct records and
- Responding to any Border Services Agency for payment concerns
Most of such agencies offer licenses to the custom brokers and hence the importers should hire a broker and give him the authority to take actions on his behalf.
5 Questions to ask before hiring a custom broker
- What kind and quality of support can the broker offer to a newbie importer or exporter?
- For how much time has the custom broker been in business?
- What kind of potential risks are usually associated with exporting and importing commercial goods into a country? Can the custom broker be able to help you in mitigating those risks?
- What kind of information does the broker need from the business in order to assess his commercial needs?
- How much amount will the broker charge for the services that he offers you? Will there be a single person assigned to the client or multiple? Will the broker be easily accessible by the client?
Experts usually say that it is pretty tough for a company to deal with different points of entry on their own. You might even need to bounce around the country to do so. Hence, it is a convenient option to hire a broker who can help you complete the process of import or export successfully. You can get help of Canadian customs brokers who can assist you with a hassle-free import.