AnalysisCustoms and duty · What the entry actually costs
What is the average cost of a customs broker, and what the entry fee does not include
A customs brokerage entry ran $100 to $250 across the 299 pages SeaRates measured on 07/26/2026. The Importer Security Filing is a separate line at $35 to $100, and neither figure includes the federal fees or the duty, both of which the broker collects and remits rather than charges. Two of those three are calculable to the cent before the container sails; the third is not calculable at all without the HTSUS line for the goods.
What the broker charges, and what it collects
The distinction that clears up most of the confusion on an invoice: the brokerage fee is what the broker charges for its work, and the duty and federal fees are what it collects from you and remits to Customs and Border Protection. Both appear on the same document.
| Line | Typical | Who ends up with it |
|---|---|---|
| Entry preparation | $100-250 per entry | The broker |
| ISF filing | $35-100 per shipment | The broker or forwarder |
| Merchandise processing fee | 0.3464% of entered value, $33.58-$651.50 | CBP |
| Harbor maintenance fee | 0.125% of cargo value | CBP |
| Import duty | HTSUS rate on the goods | CBP |
Only the first two rows are negotiable, and they are the smaller half.
The two federal fees are exact
The merchandise processing fee on a formal entry is 0.3464% of entered value — the commercial invoice value, excluding duty, freight and insurance — with a floor of $33.58 and a ceiling of $651.50. Informal entries carry a flat fee instead: $2.69, $8.06 or $12.09 per entry depending on how it was filed.
The harbor maintenance fee is 0.125% of cargo value and applies to vessel arrivals only. There is no floor and no ceiling, which is why on high-value ocean shipments it overtakes the capped MPF.
Both were checked against CBP on 07/26/2026. Both can be computed before booking, and any quote that treats them as estimates has not looked them up.
The filing that has to happen before the ship sails
The Importer Security Filing — ISF-10 — must be lodged at least 24 hours before the cargo is loaded at the foreign port. It has been in force since 26 January 2009 and is a filing obligation on the importer, whoever performs it.
Late or inaccurate filings carry liquidated damages, and the exposure sits with the importer even where a forwarder or broker was doing the work. That makes the $35-100 ISF line the cheapest part of the file to get right and one of the more expensive to get wrong.
Choosing one, in four questions
- Is the licence current, and whose is it? A customs
broker licence is issued by CBP and is a different licence from the FMC ocean credential. A company can hold one, both or neither, and the broker permit list is public.
- Who files the ISF, and by when? Get the answer in writing with the deadline attached.
- What is on the fee schedule beyond the entry? Continuation sheets, classification work, post
summary corrections and exam handling are commonly separate lines.
- Which bond is being used? A single-entry bond covers one shipment; a continuous bond covers a
year and is normally cheaper past roughly four entries.
Where this goes next
Three pages carry the rest of this question: the number behind it, the comparison of whoever would do it, and the check that runs before you pay.
- what the delivered container actually bills, line by line — the figure behind it
- the two forwarder orderings that exist and the three that do not — who does it
- which credential covers the ocean leg — check the licence
Two neighbouring pieces sit closer to this one than any of them: and why no ranking of the best one exists, and How much does it cost to ship a 40-foot container internationally.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average cost of a customs broker?
Entry preparation ran $100 to $250 across the 299 pages measured on 07/26/2026. The ISF filing is usually billed separately at $35 to $100, and neither includes duty or the federal fees.
What does a customs broker actually do?
Classifies the goods under the HTSUS, prepares and files the entry with CBP, calculates duty and the federal fees, and handles corrections, exams and post-entry work. It is a licensed activity.
Is a customs broker worth it?
For a formal ocean entry, generally yes: misclassification exposure and ISF liquidated damages both exceed the $100-250 fee by an order of magnitude. Self-filing is legal and is a real project.
How much is the merchandise processing fee?
0.3464% of entered value on a formal entry, with a floor of $33.58 and a ceiling of $651.50. Informal entries carry a flat $2.69, $8.06 or $12.09 instead. Checked with CBP on 07/26/2026.
When must the ISF be filed?
At least 24 hours before the cargo is loaded at the foreign port. The requirement has been in force since 26 January 2009 and the obligation sits with the importer.
Sources
- Customs and Border Protection, Importer Security Filing (ISF-10) — in force since 26 January 2009, filed at least 24 hours before loading.
- Customs and Border Protection — merchandise processing fee 0.3464% of entered value, floor $33.58, ceiling $651.50; informal flat fees $2.69, $8.06, $12.09; harbor maintenance fee 0.125%. Checked 07/26/2026.
- SeaRates measurement of 299 pages ranking for landed cost queries, 07/26/2026 — published ranges for brokerage entry and ISF filing.