Business, Forwarding, Freight News, IT

AEB puts customs broking online

[ June 24, 2019   //   Chris ]

Trade and logistics software firm AEB has launched a digital customs broker network, Customs Heroes. It brings together brokers such as Channel Ports, Rusak, Perinter, Portmade, and Nord Quest on a single platform and digitises the interactions between them and the trade.

AEB says the new service accelerates customs clearance while eliminating the need for manual data entry and reduces the fees that customs brokers charge for their services by up to 50%.

AEB director Steffen Frey said:  “A full 63% of companies surveyed in AEB’s Global Trade Management Study 20181 reported still using email or phone to communicate with their customs brokers.”

With the digital system, users transmit the data needed for customs processing through a special interface to the Customs Heroes platform which then automatically passes the data in the proper format to the system of the appropriate customs broker. After the customs declaration has been filed, the release documents and customs and tax assessments are sent back to the customer. Customers can also check the status of their declarations online at any time.

Customers contract with a single partner to manage customs clearance in many countries through various brokers. AEB director of international business development Mark Brannan explained: “Until now, businesses had to look for the right customs service provider in each country and then negotiate, sign a contract, and work out a process with each one. Now, all they need is a single interface to the platform.

Customs Heroes is already available in 18 countries including the UK and other European countries plus Canada, China and the US with plans for another 30 countries by the end of 2020.

Brannan adds that forwarders can use Customs Heroes to expand to new countries without the expense of establishing offices or building partner networks of customs specialists.

Tags: AEB; Channel Ports