For importers, having an experienced customs house broker (CHB) is critical to a smooth and cost-efficient process in moving goods into the U.S. For companies that work with importers, the ability to handle customs work in house is both a time savings and part of offering a seamless customer service experience.
Tranco Global has been outsourcing this expertise, but that has now changed with the launch of its own customs house brokerage.
“Most transportation professionals don’t understand the importance of a good customs house broker,” Brad Kemp, president of Tranco Global, said. “A CHB is like a CPA for importers. Licensed by the U.S. federal government, the CHB arranges the customs clearance while calculating the appropriate duties and taxes for an import.”
Tranco is a Chattanooga, Tennessee-based firm specializing in transportation services. It offers air, ocean, logistics and freight-management services.
Founded in 1995 by brothers Bruce and Byron Trantham, the company initially focused on Tranco Logistics. Over time, it expanded to include domestic transportation, warehousing, distribution and supply chain management. To address the needs of international customers, Tranco Global was founded as a sister company. Combined, the two companies have more than 350 employees, 500 units of rolling stock and 2 million square feet of warehouse space.
The need for its own CHB operation grew evident in recent years with the changing tariff policies.
“Tranco has been able to assist importers in saving hundreds of thousands of dollars through client consultation,” Kemp said. “When working with tax rules, the law is the law. However, everything from proper classification to country of origin can have a dramatic impact on the applicable duty rates.”
Tranco has added two licensed customs brokers in the past 12 months and a third associate recently passed the CHB exam, the company said, giving it a robust in-house team of experts to handle customs duties and taxes.
“The addition of in-house customs brokerage further underscores Tranco’s commitment to providing a one-stop shop for a customer’s logistics needs,” Kemp said. “By combining international transportation with our trucking and warehouse operations, few companies can provide such a comprehensive logistics solution.”