A customs broker is an intermediary with the status of a legal entity and a license, which has the right to carry out customs clearance operations on its own behalf.
Who is a customs broker
When the word broker is usually associated with the exchange or the Forex market. However, the customs broker is engaged in completely different matters. This is a legal entity - an organization that carries out intermediary activities related to goods transported across the border. In Russian, the more accurate name will be "customs representative", but the naming convention from English is officially adopted - customs broker. This kind of activity has existed for over a hundred years.
A customs broker must be clearly distinguished from a civil servant of customs - it is an independent private organization, which, however, is closely monitored by the customs authorities, which issue licenses to such representatives for the right to engage in professional activities. There are not so many organizations that are able to maintain lawyers specializing in customs law.
For some large companies, entire customs posts are being created. For example, there is a whole organization of "customs clearance" of spare parts for car assembly plants near St. Petersburg.
Hence the need for intermediaries who are well versed in the intricacies of "customs clearance" and take their own interest. The Federal Customs Service issues several new orders on a weekly basis, changing the rules for the movement of goods. Other government organizations can also influence the regulations: in Russia, it can be the Central Bank and Gosstandart. Therefore, customs brokers have no shortcomings in clients.
What is the responsibility of a customs representative
A customs broker must have extensive information about customs tariffs (benefits), as well as know everything about goods prohibited or restricted for import and export from the country. The representative usually has great connections, allowing him to solve problems in a highly complex and notorious for corruption of the customs system.
There are customs brokers who specialize in special risky operations, for example, customs clearance of perishable goods. The percentage they charge for carrying cargo is very high.
The responsibility of the customs broker for his intermediary activity is determined by the contract concluded with the customer. The client should carefully study the contract and consult with lawyers so that the duties of the customs representative are clearly spelled out. The market for intermediary services in the customs sphere is large enough, but one should be careful when choosing a partner, because, according to the law, the representative must be given a full package of documents on a foreign trade transaction.
