What a customs broker costs

There's no government price list for customs brokers. Each broker sets its own fees, so the only reliable number is a written quote. The broker rules in 19 CFR Part 111 cover licensing, records and conduct, but they don't set prices.

What you pay depends on how many entries you file, how many lines and Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) numbers each has, and which extra services you need: Importer Security Filing (ISF), a customs bond, filings for other agencies, and whether the broker advances your duties. On top of that, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) charges its own fees on most entries, whoever files them.

What a customs broker does

A licensed customs broker files entries and entry summaries, classifies goods, calculates duties and deals with CBP for you. The law says no one may conduct customs business for others "unless that person holds a valid customs broker's license" (19 U.S.C. 1641(b)(1)). You may file your own entries without a license, because the rule covers business "other than solely on behalf of that person."

Before acting for you, a broker must have your power of attorney (19 CFR 141.46).

What drives a broker's price

Number and type of entries. Goods arriving on one conveyance for one consignee generally go on one entry (19 CFR 141.51), and each entry is formal or informal. Informal entry is generally limited to shipments worth $2,500 or less, and it isn't available for "articles valued in excess of $250 classified in Chapter 99, Subchapters III and IV" of the tariff schedule (19 CFR 143.21(a)). Those subchapters hold additional duties such as Section 301 and Section 232. CBP has suspended that $250 exception "until further notice" (90 FR 42418), so for now these goods can use informal entry up to $2,500.

Lines and HTS numbers. Each product line needs its own 10-digit HTS number. When an additional tariff applies, the line also carries a Chapter 99 number, reported "in addition to" the regular one (HTS Chapter 99, statistical note 1). Look up your codes in our HTS code search.

Importer Security Filing. Ocean shipments need an ISF before loading. A broker can file it for you; ask whether it is priced separately.

The customs bond. Formal entries generally need a customs bond (19 CFR 142.4(a)). A continuous bond is at least $50,000 under CBP's guidance. The bond itself comes from a surety company, and brokers can arrange one. See our customs bonds guide.

Other agencies. Some goods also need data for other federal agencies, such as the Food and Drug Administration or the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Paying your duties. If the broker pays CBP for you, ask whether it charges for advancing the money. You don't have to route duties through the broker. CBP's rules let an importer pay "directly to Customs whether or not a licensed customhouse broker is used" (19 CFR 141.1(b)(3)), and importers can pay electronically by Automated Clearinghouse (ACH) debit from their own bank account, even when a broker files the entry (19 CFR 24.25).

Government fees you pay anyway

Merchandise processing fee (MPF), formal entries. 0.3464% of the value of the goods (19 CFR 24.23), with a minimum and maximum adjusted each fiscal year:

• Fiscal year 2026 (through Sep 30, 2026): minimum $33.58, maximum $651.50.
• Fiscal year 2027 (from Oct 1, 2026): minimum $34.58, maximum $670.86.

MPF, informal entries. A fixed fee per entry. From Oct 1, 2026 it is $2.77 for an automated entry not prepared by CBP, $8.30 for a manual entry not prepared by CBP, and $12.45 if CBP prepares it. For fiscal year 2026 the amounts were $2.69, $8.06 and $12.09.

Harbor maintenance fee (HMF). 0.125% of the value of cargo loaded or unloaded from a commercial vessel at a covered U.S. port (19 CFR 24.24). Goods that arrive by air or truck, and aren't loaded or unloaded from a vessel at a covered port, don't pay it.

Examples for formal entries of ocean cargo from Oct 1, 2026:

• $5,000 of goods: 0.3464% is $17.32, below the minimum, so MPF is $34.58. HMF is $6.25.
• $50,000 of goods: MPF is $173.20. HMF is $62.50.
• $250,000 of goods: 0.3464% is $866.00, above the maximum, so MPF is $670.86. HMF is $312.50.

Goods that qualify under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) or certain other free trade agreements listed in 19 CFR 24.23(c) can be exempt from MPF when claimed correctly. Duties are separate; estimate them for your code and country in our duty calculator.

2026: the end of duty-free de minimis

The $800 duty-free de minimis exemption is still written in the statute, but it has been suspended. Executive Order 14388 of Feb 20, 2026 says the exemption "shall not apply to any shipment" not covered by the exceptions in 50 U.S.C. 1702(b), "regardless of value, country of origin, mode of transportation, or method of entry."

A CBP rule effective Jun 24, 2026 wrote the suspension into CBP's regulations: "all entries of merchandise valued at $800 or less arriving through all modes other than the international postal network must utilize formal or informal entry procedures" (91 FR 37789). CBP says the suspension itself has applied since Aug 29, 2025, under Executive Order 14324. A separate rule suspended the exemption for mail shipments from Jun 24, 2026, and created a new postal informal entry process effective Jul 24, 2026 (91 FR 37801). Congress has also repealed the $800 exemption in the statute, effective Jul 1, 2027 (Public Law 119-21).

For small sellers, this means low-value shipments that used to come in duty-free under de minimis now need a formal or informal entry, and each entry can mean a broker or carrier fee on top of duties.

How to get a quote you can compare

Ask each broker for a written quote that answers:

• The fee per formal entry and per informal entry, and how many lines are included.
• Any charge per extra line or extra HTS number, including Chapter 99 numbers.
• The fee for ISF filing, if you ship by ocean.
• The cost of a continuous bond at your expected duty level, and of a single transaction bond.
• Charges for each other-agency filing your products need.
• Whether there is a fee for advancing duties, and whether you can pay CBP by ACH from your own account.
• What classification help, ruling requests and post summary corrections cost.
• Any monthly minimum or account setup fee.

If a broker pays a freight forwarder for referring your business, the broker must still sign the power of attorney directly with you. It must also send you its brokerage charges directly: a true copy if the forwarder collects the fees (unless you waive that in writing), or, if the broker collects them, a statement of its brokerage charges with an itemized list of any charges it collects for the forwarder (19 CFR 111.36(c)).

Brokers must also give clients this written notice: "If you are the importer of record, payment to the broker will not relieve you of liability for customs charges (duties, taxes, or other debts owed CBP) in the event the charges are not paid by the broker" (19 CFR 111.29(b)).

Finding a broker

CBP publishes a list of permitted customs brokers, and our broker page can help you find one. Before you ask for quotes, have ready your importer number, product descriptions, HTS codes if you have them, and sample invoices.

Questions

How much does a customs broker charge per entry?

There is no official fee schedule. Brokers set their own prices, and what you pay depends on the number of entries and lines, Importer Security Filing, bond costs, other agency filings and whether the broker advances your duties. Get written quotes from more than one broker and compare them line by line.

Do I have to use a customs broker?

No. U.S. law requires a license only to conduct customs business for others, not solely on your own behalf, so an importer can file its own entries. Filing yourself means handling the electronic filing and the classification, valuation and duty rules on your own.

What is the merchandise processing fee from October 2026?

For formal entries it is 0.3464% of the value of the goods, with a minimum of $34.58 and a maximum of $670.86 per entry from Oct 1, 2026 (fiscal year 2027). Through Sep 30, 2026 the minimum and maximum were $33.58 and $651.50. Informal entries pay a fixed fee instead.

Can I pay duties directly to CBP instead of through my broker?

Yes. CBP's regulations let an importer pay duties directly to CBP whether or not it uses a broker, including by Automated Clearinghouse (ACH) debit from its own bank account. Paying a broker doesn't end your liability: if the broker fails to pay CBP, the importer of record still owes the duties.