Requirements to be a customs broker: Compulsory permits and licenses

You know what are the requirements to be a customs broker? Well, you have an idea about the importance of this profession within foreign trade, since you will be the person with all the skills that are required so that with your work you comply with what the law stipulates.

In fact, you must fulfill several functions that have to do with customs legislation, therefore you need to know the requirements:

What are the requirements to be a customs broker and functions?

The requirements to be a customs broker There are several and all of them must be fulfilled exactly due to the functions that you will have to perform:

  1. You must provide data that must be accurate, that is, you must make a truthful report on that data.
  2. When making a reception or shipment you must state its value and declare it with its cost.
  3. You must know the current tax law to be able to indicate the tariff rates according to the customs regime.
  4. You should keep an update on foreign trade trends regarding customs behavior and laws.
  5. You must maintain a strict control of the packages with their transport, payment and storage.
  6. You must carry out an inspection that leads to compliance with customs law, for which you will review forms to verify the origin of the products.
  7. You will be the person responsible for the payment of taxes corresponding to foreign trade, including fees for extraction and introduction of the merchandise to the national territory.
  8. To become a customs agent you need a permit, patent or license issued by the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit.
  9. You must have been born in Mexico.
  10. You must provide your birth certificate issued by one of the Mexican civil registry offices.
  11. You must not have a criminal record or have a felony conviction.
  12. They shouldn’t have gotten your license or permit back.
  13. You should not be a public official, unless you are elected by popular election.
  14. You must not be an active military man.
  15. You must not be a relative or blood relative of the customs administrator issuing the patent.
  16. You must be a professional with a customs degree.
  17. You must have a good command of two languages.
  18. You must present proof or proof of your registration in the federal taxpayer registry.
  19. You must have at least 5 years of experience in customs procedures.
  20. You must pass the psychological and technical analysis tests or knowledge applied by the customs authority.

Requirements to be a customs agent and how to start the process

You already know what your functions will be and what requirements you must meet if you want to become a customs agent, but do you know how to start the process? If you don’t know, keep reading …

  1. Consult the call that is published in the public newspaper of the federation.
  2. Complete the application.
  3. Present the documentation required by customs law and attend the call.
  4. You must also present the payment corresponding to the applicant’s exam.

What is a customs broker?

  1. Specificallywhat is a customs broker? Well, you will take care of the reception and dispatch of import and export products. If it is in Mexico you must have authorization from the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit and you will show that authorization because you will have received a license or patent.
  2. In other words, the SAT is the entity that authorizes you to dispatch the goods for someone else’s account according to the regimes provided by the customs law.
  3. To do this, you must comply with all the requirements required by the customs law in its article 159 and wait for the call published in the official newspaper of the federation.

What is a customs agency?

  1. ¿What is a customs agency? Well, its purpose is to support people and companies with everything related to foreign trade including export, import, transparency and regulation of customs procedures.
  2. Those who make up the agency are not public officials, as they are professionals and legal representatives of exports and imports before the customs authority to be able to dispatch the goods.
  3. It provides support to avoid errors in the transaction and at the same time reduces the cost and time of these operations.
  4. It is responsible for preparing the fiscal document called customs petition that is approved by the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit and that provides a statement on the amount and type of merchandise transported, includes the data to identify the merchandise, the taxable base, the value and origin of the merchandise, the non-tariff regulations and restrictions to comply with, the customs regime and the type of operation corresponding to the merchandise.
  5. Also performs tariff classification

How to be a customs agent? Requirements and permits

  1. If you want to know how to be a customs broker You already know basically the requirements and some of its functions, but in addition to focusing on offering your services to exporters and importers, you can also offer logistics.
  2. Well, although complying with the requirements and receiving the permit or license might seem sufficient, today customers need more than you can offer covering logistics.
  3. That is to say that you will not only dedicate yourself to dispatch the merchandise but you will also provide transport and a security regime in monitoring with punctuality and competitive price.
  4. Well, you will offer an integral service that includes the warehouse, infrastructure and trucks, taking care of you from the exit of the merchandise at the port of origin, its exit from customs and its arrival at the final destination.

What are the functions of the customs broker?

In addition to the customs broker functions that you read earlier should take into account others that are also important such as:

  1. You must carry out the tariff classification of the goods so that your client pays the correct contributions.
  2. You must control compliance with non-tariff restrictions and regulations that at the same time guarantee public health, the environment, flora and fauna.
  3. You must provide advice to exporters and importers regarding the requirements and processes for customs warehousing of goods, including foreign legal provisions that impact the country.
  4. You must know how to implement trade agreements and apply strategies so that the different business sectors increase their competitiveness.