Customs Brokerage

DB Schenker currently utilizes QuestaWeb, developed by Descartes System Group. The system employed uses software leased from Descartes, one of the USA’s leading providers of customs brokerage software. The hardware used to operate the systems is owned, operated, and maintained by DB Schenker, and is housed at a dedicated computer center in Denver, CO. Complete and detailed disaster recovery plans are in place to ensure system processes, as well as efficiencies are continually maintained and monitored.

Our offices are operational participants in the customs ABI ACE and ACS system programs. In addition to processing all applicable entry and entry summary data and other government agency data (i.e., FDA, FCC, EPA, etc.), the payments of customs charges (duty, tax, and fees) are electronically transmitted to the government via the automated clearinghouse payment feature.

We are capable of automating as much of the entry process where possible. Some of our automated processes include automated entry processing through receipt of commercial invoice, shipment data, classification parts database, government agency requirements, special trade program eligibility, entry history, and events, etc. DB Schenker’s automated entry process encompasses full automation to the point of a complete systematic load of shipment and commercial invoice details.

Customs Brokerage visibility and reports, available at your fingertips. Now you have access to more visibility and functionality than ever before for all your Customs Brokerage needs with the MyBrokerage reporting tool.

We offer brokerage visibility on the web within the current eSchenker infrastructure at MyBrokerage. By becoming a member of My eSchenker, this added enhancement will allow you to track and trace your import shipments in ‘real time’, have direct access to detailed customs brokerage data, and produce standard management reports including detailed landed cost reports.

MyBrokerage also provides line item detail necessary to calculate landed cost on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis as defined by you. This information can also be extracted into a .txt format and immediately downloaded, providing you greater flexibility to manipulate the data as well as giving you the option to import it into your own report format.

Would you like to have access to U.S. Customs entry documents 24 hours a day, 365 days a year without having to look through your archives or call your broker? This function is available to you via DB Schenker's MyBrokerage application on the web.

With a simple click of a button you will have access to image documents that may consist of the following: DB Schenker accounts receivable invoice, US Customs and Border Protection Forms, documents required by other government agencies, as well as associated shipping documents (commercial invoice(s), packing list(s), bill of ladings, and entry specific declarations). You will also have the ability to print the entire set of documents, download the documents to a user-specified location, or email the documents to other parties.

As part of ongoing efforts to strengthen partnerships with the importing community, US Customs & Border Protection have begun the implementation of the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE), which is a part of a multi-year modernization effort to enhance border security and foster our nation’s economic security through lawful international trade and travel.  ACE will eventually replace the current import processing system (ACS) for US Customs & Border Protection.

DB Schenker is an early adopter of the ACE program and is prepared to handle all eligible entry summary and cargo release filings through ACE throughout the US. There are many benefits for importers and brokers within ACE. A few of the areas of ACE that DB Schenker would like to call attention to for immediate benefit are listed below.

The ACE Secure Data Portal offers importers the following benefits:

• Near real-time review of CBP entry data accessible via the reports tab with more than 125 customizable reports.
• The ability to post information, track, and/or respond to CBP on compliance and operational issues.
• Ability to initiate inquiries and receive responses to CBP Forms 28, 29, and 4647.
• Ability to post blanket declaration records for CBP to view nationwide.
• Ability to search, display, and print both AD/CVD case information and AD/CVD messages as well as track the life cycle of an AD/CVD case.

The ACE Periodic Monthly Statement offers importers the following benefits:

• Consolidates individual entries for goods that are entered or released during the previous month and allows the duty to be paid as late as the 15th working day of the following month (interest free).
• Ability to select either a national or port duty statement.
• Allows users to view the monthly duty statement as it is being built during the month via the ACE Secure Data Portal.

By having our clients establish their own ACE Periodic Monthly Statement account, not only will they save on disbursement fees, they will also have additional float on duty payments by paying monthly as an alternative to a transactional basis. The set up process for both the ACE Secure Data Portal and the ACE Periodic Monthly Statement is easy and done in partnership with CBP; details can be found at www.cbp.gov

We offer a variety of consulting related services through a dedicated trade services group.

Some of these service offerings include, but are not limited to:

• Classification services
• Binding rulings
• Protests
• Reconciliation filing
• Valuation determinations
• Trade agreements / country of origin determinations
• Overall compliance program development
• SOP preparation
• Third party record keeping services
• Internal audits
• Importer self-assessment (ISA) program
• CTPAT certification and validation support

• Import Compliance
• Export Compliance
• Training and Education

A customs bonded warehouse is a building or other secured area in which dutiable goods may be stored, manipulated, or undergo manufacturing operations without payment of customs duty.

The importer is not obligated to pay duty until merchandise is withdrawn from the warehouse. The goods can remain in the warehouse for up to five (5) years from the date of importation.

Importers who utilize bonded warehouses to store their imported merchandise enjoy some advantages over those who import their merchandise through the standard customs entry process.

Benefits

• No payment of customs duty at the time of importation. Duty is payable when the merchandise is withdrawn from the bonded warehouse for consumption, including merchandise that has been manipulated in the warehouse. This gives the importer more financial control as far as the timing of duty payment is concerned.
• No payment of duty is required on merchandise that is exported. If the importer does not have a U.S. buyer for the imported merchandise, it can be exported from the bonded warehouse without any payment of customs duty.