How can I become a customs broker in the US?

What do you study to become a customs broker?

• i will be a freshmen in college

• Answer:

  The first thing you need to do is take the Customs Broker exam, which is given out twice yearly (April and October) on the first Monday of those months. The test is always announced on the Customs & Border Patrol website, and when they do the announcement they tell you what sections of the regulations you'll need to bring with you (the exam is an open book exam). Historically you've been allowed to bring any *printed* material with you but nothing electronic. I just took the test in April and these are the materials we were told the test would be based on: - Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (2008 version – Supplement 1) - Title 19, Code of Federal Regulations, revised as of April 1, 2008 (Parts 0 to140, 141 to 199 and 200 to End) - Customs and Trade Automated Interface Requirements (CATAIR) - Appendix B – Valid Codes - Appendix D – Metric Conversion - Appendix E – Valid Entry Numbers - Appendix G – Common Errors - Appendix H – Census Warning Messages - Appendix L – Drawback Errors - Glossary of Terms - Instructions for Preparation of CBP Form 7501 (8-30-2005) - C-TPAT – Minimum Security Criteria for Customs Brokers (3-20-2007)  Submission Changes for Supplemental Information Letters and Post Entry Amendments - Remote Location Filing Eligibility Requirements (4-18-2005) - Directives - 3510-004, Monetary Guidelines for Setting Bond Amounts - Amendment to 3510-004 for Certain Merchandise Subject to Antidumping/Countervailing Duty Cases - 3550-055, Instructions for Deriving Manufacturer/Shipper Identification Code - 3550-067, Entry Summary Acceptance and Rejection Policy - 3550-079A, Ultimate Consignee at time of Entry or Release - 3560-001A, Census Interface-Processing Procedures - 5610-002A, Standard Guidelines for the Input of Names and Addresses Into Automated Commercial System (ACS) Files Having taken the exam I can tell you the best way to study (in my opinion) is to take old tests (which are on the Customs site) and analyze which sections you need to work on. You don't need to (in my opinion) specialize in any one major or field (I was an English major - my boss was an Environmental Science major - another friend of mine was a business major). If you're really sure you want to do trade, however, I'd say learning a language would be helpful (but not required).