aid: customs-brokerage
name: Customs Brokerage
kind: topic
description: >-
  Customs brokerage is the licensed practice of clearing imported and
  exported goods through customs authorities on behalf of importers,
  exporters, and freight forwarders. Licensed customs brokers prepare and
  file entry documentation, classify merchandise under the Harmonized
  Tariff Schedule, calculate and remit duties and fees, manage Partner
  Government Agency (PGA) requirements, and represent clients in customs
  matters. In the United States, brokers are licensed and regulated by
  U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP); the leading filing channel is
  the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) via Electronic Data
  Interchange (EDI). Globally, brokerage is shaped by the WCO SAFE
  Framework, AEO programs, and national single-window systems. APIs in
  this space are typically embedded in customs broker software, freight
  forwarder TMS platforms, and global trade management (GTM) suites.
url: >-
  https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/customs-brokerage/refs/heads/main/apis.yml
image: https://kinlane-images.s3.amazonaws.com/shared/apis-json/apis-json-logo.jpg
type: Index
access: Public
position: Consuming
created: '2024-01-15'
modified: '2026-04-28'
specificationVersion: '0.20'
tags:
  - ABI
  - ACE
  - AES
  - Brokerage
  - Cargo Release
  - Compliance
  - Customs
  - Customs Brokers
  - Duties
  - EDI
  - Entry Summary
  - Exports
  - Freight Forwarding
  - Imports
  - PGA
  - Trade
apis: []
common:
  - type: CBPACE
    url: https://www.cbp.gov/trade/automated
  - type: CBPBrokerLicense
    url: https://www.cbp.gov/trade/programs-administration/customs-brokers
  - type: NCBFAA
    url: https://www.ncbfaa.org/
  - type: CSCB
    url: https://www.cscb.ca/
  - type: WCOSAFEFramework
    url: https://www.wcoomd.org/en/topics/facilitation/instrument-and-tools/frameworks-of-standards/safe_package.aspx
  - type: AEO
    url: https://www.wcoomd.org/en/topics/facilitation/instrument-and-tools/tools/authorized-economic-operator-package.aspx
  - type: USHTS
    url: https://hts.usitc.gov/
  - type: HSNomenclature
    url: https://www.wcoomd.org/en/topics/nomenclature/instrument-and-tools/hs-nomenclature-2022-edition.aspx
  - type: ABIDocumentation
    url: https://www.cbp.gov/trade/ace/catair
  - type: CATAIR
    url: https://www.cbp.gov/trade/ace/catair
  - type: CAMIRACE
    url: https://www.cbp.gov/trade/automated/automated-commercial-environment/document-library
  - type: GTMVendors
    url: https://www.gartner.com/reviews/market/global-trade-management
maintainers:
  - FN: Kin Lane
    email: kin@apievangelist.com