Import Broker Fee Calculator

How the figure is built

Broker fees are a per-entry charge plus per-line charges plus a set of situational extras: advance filings, additional agency declarations, corrections, exam coordination, and a disbursement fee where the broker advances duty on your behalf.

The disbursement fee is normally a percentage of the amount advanced with a minimum, which means it is a financing charge rather than a service fee, and it is one of the easier lines to remove.

The same thing with real figures

An entry fee of $125, an advance filing at $35, three included classification lines with $25 for each additional, and disbursement at 2% with a $30 minimum.

A five-line entry with $1,332 of duty advanced: $125 + $35 + $50 + $30 = $240. On 1,000 units that is $0.24 each.

Now the same broker on a shipment requiring an additional agency declaration at $80, a post-entry correction at $95, and exam coordination at $150, $565. The base quote described 42% of what was invoiced.

Where the figure deceives

Comparing brokers on the entry fee alone is close to meaningless, because the entry fee is typically under half the total. A broker at $95 with aggressive line charges and a 3% disbursement fee costs more than one at $150 with generous inclusions.

Volume discounts are also rarely offered and frequently available. Brokers price per entry and their marginal cost on a repetitive entry from a known importer is very low, which makes it negotiable in a way the published schedule does not suggest.

Acting on it

Request a full fee schedule and price a representative entry, your actual line count, your actual filings, from three brokers. That comparison takes an hour and routinely finds 30% to 40% differences on the same work.

Then set up a duty deferment account in your own name so the broker no longer advances the duty. That removes the disbursement fee entirely, which on frequent entries is often the largest single line.

Getting more from the relationship than clearance

A good broker is a classification and compliance resource, not just a filer. They see the rulings, they know which codes attract scrutiny, and they can flag a preferential agreement you are not claiming, and most will do this for existing clients without charging for it.

The way to get that value is to give them clean information: complete commercial invoices, consistent product descriptions, codes already determined and documented, and advance notice of anything unusual. Brokers reciprocate effort, and the ones who do not are worth replacing.

It is worth asking annually whether anything in your import profile has changed the optimal setup: a continuous bond instead of single-entry, a deferment account, a different entry type, a first sale valuation. These are things brokers know and rarely volunteer, and each of them is a recurring saving rather than a one-off.

A flat monthly retainer covering a set number of entries, rather than per-entry pricing. For an importer with predictable volume this usually costs less than the sum of the entries and removes the incentive to bill for every query.

It also changes the relationship. A broker on a retainer answers questions without a meter running, which is when the classification and compliance advice actually gets used rather than avoided.