Customs Brokers Demanding 10-15% Cuts from Tariff Refunds

Allegations have emerged that major customs brokerages are attempting to capitalize on the uncertainty surrounding tariff refund processes by demanding commissions of 10% to 15% on reimbursements owed to importers. Pete Mento, director of global trade advisory services at Baker Tilly, highlighted this concerning trend through professional channels, noting that these demands are being consistently reported across larger brokerage firms. This situation represents a significant transparency and fairness issue within the customs brokerage industry.

Importers seeking tariff relief may lack visibility into standard fee structures or justification for such high commissions, creating an information asymmetry that larger brokerages can exploit during periods of regulatory confusion. The practice threatens to erode trust in the broker-client relationship and compounds the financial burden on companies already absorbing tariff impacts. For supply chain professionals, this underscores the importance of establishing clear fee agreements with customs brokers before engaging their services and benchmarking rates across multiple providers.

Organizations should also consider whether in-house customs expertise or alternative service providers could reduce vulnerability to opportunistic fee structures during volatile trade policy periods.