Customs Broker
Other Titles
Corporate Licensed Broker, Customs Brokerage Manager, Customs Manager, Import Manager
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.
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.
Monitor or trace the location of goods.
Confer with officials in various agencies to facilitate clearance of goods through customs and quarantine.
Inform importers and exporters of steps to reduce duties and taxes.
Obtain line releases for frequent shippers of low-risk commodities, high-volume entries, or multiple-container loads.
Provide advice on transportation options, types of carriers, or shipping routes.
Contract with freight forwarders for destination services.
Apply for tariff concessions or for duty drawbacks and other refunds.
Insure cargo against loss, damage, or pilferage.
Prepare papers for shippers to appeal duty charges.
Active Listening→ Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Reading Comprehension→ Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Complex Problem Solving→ Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Critical Thinking→ Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Speaking→ Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Writing→ Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Active Learning→ Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Judgment and Decision Making→ Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Monitoring→ Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Service Orientation→ Actively looking for ways to help people.
Time Management→ Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Learning Strategies→ Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Coordination→ Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Instructing→ Teaching others how to do something.
Management of Personnel Resources→ Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Mathematics→ Using mathematics to solve problems.
Negotiation→ Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Social Perceptiveness→ Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Systems Analysis→ Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Getting Information→ Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Interacting With Computers→ Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates→ Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards→ Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
Processing Information→ Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
Communicating with Persons Outside Organization→ Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge→ Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Documenting/Recording Information→ Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems→ Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Analyzing Data or Information→ Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships→ Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work→ Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Performing Administrative Activities→ Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates→ Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
Provide Consultation and Advice to Others→ Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
Training and Teaching Others→ Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events→ Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others→ Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
Coaching and Developing Others→ Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others→ Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
Developing and Building Teams→ Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others→ Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings→ Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Thinking Creatively→ Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People→ Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
Coordinate logistics or other business operations.
Oversee business processes.
Pay charges, fees, or taxes.
Calculate data to inform organizational operations.
Coordinate regulatory documentation activities.
Examine product information to ensure compliance with regulations.
Update knowledge of legal or regulatory environments.
Advise others on legal or regulatory compliance matters.
Estimate costs of goods or services.
Monitor inventories of products or materials.
Obtain documentation to authorize activities.
Advise others on financial matters.
Advise others on logistics topics.
Negotiate contracts with clients or service providers.
Submit financial applications.
Prepare regulatory or compliance documentation.
Advise others on business or operational matters.
Develop business relationships.
Deductive Reasoning→ The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Written Comprehension→ The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Near Vision→ The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Oral Comprehension→ The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression→ The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Written Expression→ The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Speech Clarity→ The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Information Ordering→ The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g. , patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Category Flexibility→ The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Speech Recognition→ The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Inductive Reasoning→ The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Problem Sensitivity→ The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Selective Attention→ The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Flexibility of Closure→ The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Fluency of Ideas→ The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Transportation→ Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Language→ Knowledge of the structure and content of a language - English, French, Swahili et cetera - including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Clerical→ Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
Law and Government→ Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Customer and Personal Service→ Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Computers and Electronics→ Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Administration and Management→ Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Geography→ Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Mathematics→ Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Economics and Accounting→ Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
Compliance software
Database user interface and query software -- e.g., Customs filing software; Microsoft Access; Parts classification databases; Tariff databases etc
Electronic mail software -- e.g., Electronic data interchange EDI software; Microsoft Outlook; Google Chrome
Enterprise resource planning ERP software -- e.g., Sage ERP, BluWave; Sapama; SAP etc
Internet browser software -- Web browser software
Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software -- Materials requirement planning MRP software
Office suite software -- e.g., Microsoft Office
Optical character reader OCR or scanning software -- Optical character reader OCR software
Presentation software -- e.g., Microsoft PowerPoint
Project management software
Spreadsheet software -- e.g., Microsoft Excel
Word processing software -- e.g., Microsoft Word
Enterprising→ Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Conventional→ Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Attention to Detail→ Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Integrity→ Job requires being honest and ethical.
Dependability→ Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Stress Tolerance→ Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Persistence→ Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Cooperation→ Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Achievement/Effort→ Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Adaptability/Flexibility→ Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Initiative→ Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Self Control→ Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Analytical Thinking→ Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Independence→ Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Leadership→ Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Concern for Others→ Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Social Orientation→ Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
Achievement→ Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Independence→ Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Recognition→ Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.