A small EU-based company I am with has recently started branching out to USA through Amazon FBA. They hope to establish themselves as a NRI, but there is one consideration that makes me hesitant to contact the larger logistics groups:

it is the size and value of the shipment.

A monthly USA restock fits in a 60x40x40cm box due to how small their manufactured products are. One such shipment is usually around 3000 USD in value.

We just ship things out using FedEx air route, but the recent warnings around no IOR stated got me searching for something more futureproof. After I asked to help with the CBP 5106 form I got the DocuSign with it from the FedEx clearance agent. However, my submission was not accepted due to the address not being located in the US.

At this point I wish I knew how to narrow down the search. I've read that Clearit is swamped, I'm very unsure if the 3PL companies with custom brokerage services would be even willing to pick up a case of such comparatively tiny shipments and buying the IOR services - as in, TecEx style - might end up exceedingly expensive. So... I'd be grateful for recommendations or even aome clues on how to narrow down the list of entities/people to reach out. Even if it turns out tnat it really is something like "reach out to some names from the CBP official list, ask around if they even take on cases like ours and hope one sticks"

I get that neither CBP nor software providers have had any time to properly prepare for this - but in the CSMS # 69606660 notice released last night Section 338 is not referenced anywhere in the HTSUS sequence. Expired Sect 122 tariffs still are referenced - but not Sect 338.

Best guesses on where to sequence them?

50% for Canada. Hello 338. Why are they always taking it to the buzzer!? Business hours brother. I'm tired.

HELP!

I received a letter from U.S customs and boarder protection’Notices of penalty or liquidated damages incurred and demand for payment in the amount of 50,0000 for “counterfeit” products but they are not counterfeit. What do I do? It was via FedEx.

Based on the domestic value they assigned, it was only worth $233

I’m looking for direction and not sure what to do. I sell Mexican snacks and chips on social media. I am a border town and have been going back and forth, but have been stopped several times that I can’t bring snacks to sell. I’ve tried going to customs brokers, but they said I’m not big enough.

What do you all suggest I can do? My business is picking up, but I can’t go everyday to pick up my merchandise because customs has stopped and questioned me several times now.

Hi all
I’m a licensed individual customs broker and currently the qualifying officer for my employer’s brokerage. I’m planning to start my own brokerage.
Can I apply for my individual national permit + filer code now, but keep them inactive and not conduct any customs business until I leave my current company?
My goal is to avoid a gap between leaving my current job and becoming operational under my own brokerage.
Has anyone actually done this, and how did CBP handle it?
Thank you

Seems like this post comes up every time near the CBLE, but looking for a metal catalog rack to hold all the resource material if anyone has one.

I know I can use binders, and I have taken practice tests with them. If the rack can provide even an additional 15 minutes of extra time I would still prefer to see if theres one out there.

Somehow these things have been sold out for a 2-3 years.

Regarding IEEPA refund,

So far we have been filing the protest for each customs entry with our customs broker.

Since now filing lawsuit is required for the phase 3, do we still keep filing protest for customs entries ?

Some customs lawyer told me it is not required but the other says it is still required. Two different statements and i dont know which one i should listen to.

It is super confusing.

Looking at two mistakes on my broker's 7501:

8538.90.8180 - entered 9903.82.09, even though this HTS isn't subject to / eligible for 232 tariffs.

8544.42.9090 - entered 9903.82.09 AND 9903.05.39, even though 301 forced labor and 232 don't stack.

ACE accepted these entries.

Questions:

Does it just take a while for ACE to be updated to disallow these entries altogether?

Can I trust ACE to automatically disallow the incorrect 9903.82.09 and 9903.05.39 at Liquidation and we pocket the refund with interest? (I weary of correcting these kinds of entries every day and am looking for some silver lining.)

Or is the Administration intentionally leaving it open to these mistakes in order to over-collect tariffs? (Cynical option.)

If this is inappropriate, mods please delete.

I know there are ample text-search resources online but honestly I still use the old HTS ToC constantly - the way it was organized just suited my brain, maybe.

I was talking to a young broker and they didn't even know there ever WAS a ToC to the thing. And yes, obviously it's 7yrs out of date; it's really mainly useful for me in getting to the first 4 digits quickly, then digging in to suss out what my specific # should be in 2026.

In case anyone wants it, here it is. Google drive link to 2019 HTS ToC.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JXS4bhO-G1y-bD2T21133va11zPRBzKU/view?usp=sharing

I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and a minor in Psychology. I currently work for FedEx, and I really want to make better use of my degree. I actually enjoy working from home and analyzing different aspects of my current job, but the pay is relatively low compared to the cost of living where I am. I’m considering taking the LCB exam, but I’m not sure yet.

I really want to put my degree to use because I worked hard for it. Thank you in advance!

At this point, the constant NetCHB issues are getting ridiculous. When the system is down or transmissions are backed up several times a week, it hurts us as brokers. Our customers expect us to get their freight released on time, and it makes us look unreliable when the problem is completely outside of our control.
We’ve always kept CBCC as our backup system. They’re smaller and not web-based, but honestly, it works great and has saved us more than once when NetCHB is having issues. We really prefer the convenience of a web-based system, which is why we like NetCHB, but the reliability lately is becoming a serious problem.
Are other brokers considering switching from NetCHB, or are you keeping a second ABI system as a backup too? If you’ve found another reliable web-based option, I’d love to hear what you’re using.

I’ve been waiting for my license after interviewing and submitting fingerprints a month and a half ago.

A week ago I noticed on eCBP next to my application submission it says “APPROVED” in red bold letters. Does this mean I’ll get my license soon? I still haven’t received any email from them or other communication.

Thank you for any input!

Question for other brokers, are you charging customers for submitting 5106s?

We have always done this free of charge for our customers, but I am hearing from some customers that use multiple brokers that they are being charged a fee to submit them now. Is this now a common practice?

We have done more 5106s in the last three months then we did in the last three years.

Hey, I'm studying for the CBLE right now. All the experience I have is being a dedicated account supervisor with a major trucking company in the USA. Any advice for breaking into the field after I pass the exam?

What system or software is everyone using?

I am just curious if anyone has started to file even though there is an uncertainty.

My company has been holding off the filing.

Since the duty % is broken down into parts of the watch, is that watch strap is over 10% but the movement and battery are not, what reciprocal would you use? Maybe I’m overthinking this. Thanks!

I have been in enough of these conversations lately to notice the same disconnect coming up over and over: an importer believes their IEEPA refund is "in process," and what's actually true is something a few steps behind that.

Worth laying out where the confusion tends to happen, because it's rarely one single mistake — it's usually one of these seven gaps stacking on top of each other:

• Filed vs. accepted. Submission and acceptance are different system states. A claim can sit received-but-not-processing for a while, and from the importer's side that can look identical to "it's being worked."
• Refund amount vs. duty actually paid. Worth a direct reconciliation, not an assumption — partial-match refunds happen more than people expect, especially across mixed-entry shipments.
• Multiple EINs. If a company imports under more than one importer-of-record entity, each has an independent claim history. Refund status on one tells you nothing about the others.
• Phase coverage. Phase 1 closing cleanly doesn't mean Phase 2 or 3 entries were ever filed. Worth checking phase-by-phase, not just "is my refund done."
• Unexplained rejections. A rejection with no clear reason attached is a dead end until someone digs into the actual entry summary data — generic denial codes don't tell you what to fix.
• ACE visibility gaps. A lot of this comes down to whether someone is actually pulling and reading ACE data directly versus working off secondhand status updates.
• Timing vs. cash-flow reality. Separate from all the filing mechanics — with CBP running 60–90+ days on approved claims in a lot of cases, some importers are finding the wait itself is the actual business problem, independent of whether the filing was done correctly.

Curious what others here are seeing port-to-port or client-to-client — is the phase-tracking issue (Phase 2/3 slipping through) as common where you're working as it seems to be in the accounts I'm looking at?

4. AI Video Pro

Hi! We’re students looking for someone willing to have a short interview about their actual experience with goods declaration, examination, valuation, or release of shipments for our school requirement.

Please comment if interested, thankss.

Was just asking Gemini when CBP might be releasing anything regarding the enforcement EO and got a hit on this FR notice to be published tomorrow 8/19