Customs Broker

A customs broker is a private individual or firm licensed by CBP to prepare and file customs entries, classify goods, and pay duties on an importer's behalf — the regulated middleman between you and the government. Licensure is not automatic: an individual must pass the Customs Broker License Examination (a notoriously difficult test with pass rates often below 20%) and undergo a background check before CBP grants a license. In practice, the express carriers you already use are brokers — UPS, FedEx, and DHL run in-house brokerages that clear your package, advance the duty to CBP, and then bill you a disbursement fee on top. This role became unavoidable for ordinary shoppers once the $800 de minimis exemption was eliminated, because nearly every commercial package now requires a formal or informal entry filed by a qualified party, and that party's fees are frequently larger than the duty itself.