Julio Rodriguez US Customs BrokerSince 2007
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  1. Julio Rodriguez US Customs Broker
  2. Services
  3. Customs Clearance

Customs clearance and entry filing

This is the core of what a licensed customs broker does: we prepare and file your entry, pay your duties, work your holds, and get your freight released. We do it under our own filer code, EWV, through our own ACE connection, at any port in the US or Puerto Rico.

What happens between arrival and release

A customs entry is the legal declaration of what your goods are, what they are worth, and what they owe. We build it from your commercial invoice, packing list and transport documents, classify the goods, calculate the duties and fees, and transmit it to CBP electronically before or as your freight arrives.

Because we operate our own ACE connection and are electronically linked with every partner government agency, an entry that needs FDA, USDA or APHIS review goes to those agencies in the same flow. When CBP releases, we tell you and your trucker the same hour, because the clock on storage and demurrage does not wait.

How long from release to pickup?

Release itself is often same-day when the paperwork is complete and there is no hold. What stretches the timeline is almost always a hold, and each kind has a different owner. Knowing which one you have is half the fix:

Hold types and who can clear each
HoldWho placed itWhat clears it
Manifest holdCBP, pre-arrival screeningBroker supplies data or documents CBP asks for
Exam holdCBP officersThe exam itself; the broker keeps documents flowing
PGA hold (FDA, USDA, APHIS)The partner agencyAgency review or sampling; broker files the agency data
Line holdThe steamship linePaying freight or fees owed to the carrier, not to CBP

A line hold looks like customs to the untrained eye but no entry filing can lift it. We tell you which kind you have on day one.

Why the license matters here

Filing customs entries for someone else is customs business under 19 USC 1641, and it may only be done by a licensed customs broker. Forwarders who offer clearance are subcontracting it to someone like us. Coming to the broker directly means the person answering your call is the person whose license is on your entry. Julio Rodriguez US Customs Broker has two licensed brokers on staff and has been filing since 2007.

FAQ

How long does customs clearance take?

With complete documents and no hold, release is commonly same-day or next-day. Exams and partner agency reviews add days. The biggest delays we see come from incomplete invoices, which is why we check documents before arrival, not after.

Can you clear freight at a port where you have no office?

Yes. Under a national permit a licensed customs broker files remotely in any US port. We clear freight at PortMiami and Miami International Airport every day from Cataño and Orlando, and a Miami office is in the plans.

What documents do you need to file my entry?

A commercial invoice with a proper description, quantity and value, a packing list, and the bill of lading or air waybill. A certificate of origin if you claim a trade agreement. We tell you exactly what is missing before it costs you a day.

What is a customs entry filing?

The electronic declaration to CBP of what your goods are, their value, their origin and the duties owed. It must be filed by the importer or a licensed customs broker. Ours go out under CBP filer code EWV.

My container is released but still at the port. Why?

Release ends the customs story, not the port story. Terminal appointments, line holds for unpaid freight, and trucking availability all run on their own clocks. We flag those early so release day can be pickup day.

Get your next entry filed right

Send us what you are importing and where it lands. A licensed broker will confirm what we need and have you set up before the vessel arrives.

Tell us about your shipment

A few lines is enough. A licensed customs broker reads every message, and a half-filled form is a completely normal way to start.

* Required. Email or phone, either one is enough.

Talk to a licensed broker

Julio Rodriguez US Customs Broker is a licensed customs brokerage, established 2007, CBP filer code EWV, clearing freight at every port in Puerto Rico and the mainland United States from offices in Cataño, Puerto Rico and Orlando, Florida, with daily work in Miami, in English and Spanish.

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