Many importers stay with a broker they're unhappy with because switching sounds risky. What if a shipment gets stuck in the middle? What about all the product information the old broker has? In practice, switching is routine, and brokers handle it all the time.
Signs it's time to switch
- Your all-in cost per entry is well above what similar importers pay
- Trucks are regularly delayed because filings are late or wrong
- You can't reach anyone when something goes wrong
- Your broker never raises compliance issues, tariff changes or refund opportunities
- Your volume has grown and your broker won't revisit pricing
How switching works
- Choose and brief the new broker. Share your product list, suppliers, lanes and typical volume so they can set up your account and classifications before the first shipment.
- Authorize them. In Canada, you give your new broker access to act for your business, including in the CARM Client Portal. In the US, you sign a power of attorney for the new broker.
- Get your records. Ask your old broker for your product classification list and recent entry records. They're records of your imports, and you'll need them for compliance.
- Sort out security. If your bond or RPP security is in your own name, it generally stays with you. If you were relying on your old broker's arrangement, set up your own before the switch.
- Pick a clean cutover date and tell your suppliers and carriers which broker to send documents to from then on.
- Remove the old broker's access once shipments in progress have cleared.
What makes a broker the "best" one for you
There's no single best customs broker in Canada or the US. The best one for you depends on where and how you ship. Look for:
- Your lanes and ports. A broker who clears at your crossing every day knows its quirks.
- Your products. Experience with your goods and any other government agency requirements they carry.
- Hours that match your crossings. Especially if trucks cross at night or on weekends.
- Clear, itemized pricing that reflects your volume.
- How they treat carriers. Drivers know which brokers leave them waiting. Ask your carriers.
- Proactive compliance. Do they review classifications and flag refunds without being asked?
Let us do the comparison
Our audit benchmarks what you pay now, and if switching makes sense, we'll match you with a licensed broker on your port who beats your current rates without slower service. You only pay if we save you money.