Customs Brokers

What the job really is

Prepare customs documentation and ensure that shipments meet all applicable laws to facilitate the import and export of goods. Determine and track duties and taxes payable and process payments on behalf of client. Sign documents under a power of attorney. Represent clients in meetings with customs officials and apply for duty refunds and tariff reclassifications. Coordinate transportation and storage of imported goods.

At a glance

• Sector: Business & Financial
• O*NET-SOC code: 13-1041
• O*NET job zone: 3 — medium preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Prepare and process import and export documentation according to customs regulations, laws, or procedures.
• Clear goods through customs and to their destinations for clients.
• Pay, or arrange for payment of, taxes and duties on shipments.
• Calculate duty and tariff payments owed on shipments.
• Request or compile necessary import documentation, such as customs invoices, certificates of origin, and cargo-control documents.
• Classify goods according to tariff coding system.
• Stay abreast of changes in import or export laws or regulations by reading current literature, attending meetings or conferences, or conferring with colleagues.
• Sign documents on behalf of clients, using powers of attorney.
• Advise customers on import and export restrictions, tariff systems, insurance requirements, quotas, or other customs-related matters.
• Post bonds for the products being imported or assist clients in obtaining bonds.
• Quote duty and tax rates on goods to be imported, based on federal tariffs and excise taxes.
• Arrange for transportation, warehousing, or product distribution of imported or exported products.

Tools and technology

Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, SAP software, Automated commercial environment software ACE, Automated system for customs data ASYCUDA, Computer data input scanners, Customs records databases, Desktop computers

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Freight Forwarders
• Cargo and Freight Agents
• Customs and Border Protection Officers
• Brokerage Clerks
• Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers
• Procurement Clerks
• Compliance Officers
• Government Property Inspectors and Investigators

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 3 (medium preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

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Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Customs Brokers — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.