Classification decisions are expert judgment, written down.
Licensed customs brokers and forwarders make thousands of high-stakes calls: which tariff code applies, how to answer CBP, when to protest. With tariffs shifting, that reasoning is valuable, and it lives in your entry files and email.
Why buyers want customs records
Every entry carries a decision, and often a written rationale. Requests for information, notices of action and protests come with outcomes. Few records anywhere show expert reasoning this directly.
Because federal rules treat a broker's client records as confidential, customs work needs a consent step other industries don't. We handle it with you, client by client.
Records buyers ask for
| Record | Where it usually lives | Why buyers value it |
|---|---|---|
| Classification worksheets and rationale | Email, shared drives, broker software | How an expert picks a tariff code and justifies it |
| Entry summaries | Broker software and ABI filings | Structured outcomes for each decision |
| CBP requests and notices | Email, ACE | Agency questions and how they were answered |
| Protests and ruling requests | Shared drives | Disputes with documented outcomes |
| Client correspondence | How brokers explain duty, timing and risk to importers | |
| Invoices and duty statements | Accounting | Closes the loop on cost |
One workflow, start to finish
Buyers pay most for complete chains like this one, where every step links to the next through a shared ID.
- EmailCommercial invoice
An importer sends invoices for a new line of industrial fittings.
- WorksheetClassification
Two candidate tariff codes researched; the rationale is written up.
- ABIEntry filed
Entry summary transmitted and duty paid.
- ACECBP request
CBP asks for product literature and a material breakdown.
- EmailResponse
The broker answers with documentation and the classification rationale.
- ACELiquidation
The entry liquidates at a different rate.
- Shared driveProtest
A protest is filed and decided.
Illustrative example with invented details.
What we handle differently in customs
- Written client consent first. Federal customs broker regulations treat client records as confidential (19 CFR 111.24), so we only license records for importers who have agreed in writing. We give you a short consent letter to send.
- Importer identifiers. Importer-of-record numbers, EINs and contacts are replaced with stand-ins.
- Product descriptions. Kept where they matter for classification, with brand and part names generalized on request.
- Open matters. Open penalty cases, investigations and prior disclosures stay out.
What stays out
- Records for any client without written consent
- Open CBP investigations, penalties or prior disclosures
- Entries for individual (non-business) importers
- Licensed tariff databases and subscription content
See what your entry history is worth.
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