13200 Customs, ship and other brokers

What this occupation covers

Customs brokers clear goods through customs and to their destination on behalf of importer and exporter clients. Shipbrokers buy and sell cargo space on ships and buy and sell ships, yachts and other watercraft on behalf of clients. This unit group also includes other brokers who negotiate commercial transactions, logistics or other services, not elsewhere classified, between parties on behalf of clients. They are employed by customs, ship or other brokerage establishments or may be self-employed.

Official main duties

The NOC profile lists 13 main duties for this code.

• Prepare and process import/export documents and other forms on behalf of clients according to customs regulations, laws and procedures
• Sign import/export documents on behalf of client, using power of attorney
• Arrange for payment of duties, taxes, storage and transportation of imported goods and bonds to cover duty goods
• Quote duty and tax rates on commodities for clients
• Provide advice to clients on export and import restrictions, tariff systems, letters of credit, insurance requirements and other custom related matters
• May represent client before administrative tribunals or in other dealings with government officials.
• Buy and sell cargo space on ships on behalf of individuals, companies and governments
• Consult trade publications and other sources to provide information to clients on available cargo space, destinations, rates and departure locations and times, and arrange ship charters for clients
• Negotiate rates and terms and prepare contracts and other papers
• Buy and sell ships, yachts and other watercraft on behalf of clients
• Inspect vessels, explain features and negotiate price when purchasing or selling for clients
• Arrange for insurance coverage for cargo or for ships
• Arrange for registration and licensing of ships.

Do not copy these lines into your reference letter. The letter has to describe what you actually did, in your employer’s words. DUTYPROOF flags wording lifted from the NOC as something to review, and an officer reading a letter that mirrors the NOC reads it the same way.

What DUTYPROOF screens for

This is DUTYPROOF’s screening threshold, not IRCC’s decision. For this NOC, screening requires at least 2 of its 13 official duties to be evidenced in your own words, plus the required letter elements. IRCC asks that you performed the actions in the occupation’s lead statement and a substantial number of its main duties — so treat the duty coverage as the number that matters, not the badge.

Codes this one is confused with

The NOC profile names these itself. Choosing the wrong code of a look-alike pair is the most common way genuine work experience fails to establish eligibility.

• 63100 Insurance agents and brokers
• 10020 Insurance, real estate and financial brokerage managers
• 11103 Securities agents, investment dealers and brokers

Excluded from this code

• Insurance broker (See 63100 Insurance agents and brokers)
• Insurance, real estate and financial brokerage managers (See 10020 Insurance, real estate and financial brokerage managers)
• Securities agents, investment dealers and brokers (See 11103 Securities agents, investment dealers and brokers)

Job titles filed under this code

A title on this list does not by itself put your experience in this code — the duties in your letter decide that.

cargo broker · chartered shipbroker · customs broker · customs clearance agent · customs consultant · customs house broker · customs information broker · customs rater · designated shipbroker · gas broker · licensed customs broker · oil lease broker · qualified customs broker · royalty broker · ship agent · ship line agent · shipbroker · supply chain specialist - customs brokerage · yacht broker

Employment requirements

• Completion of secondary school, and some post-secondary education in commerce or a related field is required.
• Customs brokers require several years of on-the-job training and completion of a customs brokers training program through the International Federation of Customs Brokers Association.
• A customs broker licence, issued by the Canada Border Services Agency, is required for an individual or company to operate a customs brokerage business.
• Shipbrokers selling cargo space on ships usually require several years of on-the-job training or related experience such as shipping company scheduling experience. Shipbrokers selling watercraft usually require in-depth experience with, and knowledge of, various watercraft.
• Correspondence courses from the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers are available for shipbrokers.