Known Importer Questionnaire
This document is intended to provide Catalyst Customs Brokers, Inc., with information needed to prepare customs entries for your Importer of Record account. It is not meant to be exhaustive and the commodities imported by your account may have special requirements not discussed in this document. The completion of this questionnaire will enable Catalyst Customs Brokers, Inc., to ensure a Customs POA is executed properly and allow Catalyst Customs Brokers, Inc., to identify your company to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as a "Known Importer" at the time of entry.
Complete the applicable questions and provide the requested supporting documents to Catalyst. Section and question numbers identify each item for follow-up.
1. General Business Information
Please provide the supporting business and POA documents listed in Section 17 with your completed questionnaire.
2. Business Mailing Address Type & Details
3. Physical Principal Place of Business Address Type & Details
Indicate the Physical Principal Place of Business Address where the business's books and records are maintained and where senior management is located and/or matches corporate documents filed in the state of incorporation
4. Business Company Officers, Operations, and Accounting Contacts
Customs Compliance Contact
Company Officer Contact (legally authorized to bind the company)
Import Operations Contact
Accounts Payable Contact
5. Documents Required to Make Entry
- Commercial Invoice
- Packing List
- Bill of Lading or Airway Bill
- Arrival Notice or Authority to Make Entry
Other documents or information may be required depending on the commodity and/or country of origin of your merchandise.
Section 19 CFR 141.89 of the Customs Regulations lists additional information for certain classes of merchandise. Please review the list and provide the required information if you are importing one of these commodities.
6. Customs Bonds
A Customs bond is required where applicable to the entry type and transaction. The purpose of the bond is to ensure that all duties, taxes, and fees due at entry are paid to CBP. The bond also ensures that your merchandise complies with all regulatory requirements and that you redeliver the merchandise to Customs custody if they should so demand. Please provide us with your current bond information:
7. Right to Make Entry
The right to make entry depends on the importer’s role in the transaction. Owners or purchasers with a financial interest may include:
- The actual owner of the goods; A person or firm who imports under loan or lease
- The actual purchaser of the goods; A person or firm who imports for exhibition at a trade fair
- A buying or selling agent; A person or firm who imports goods for repair, alteration, or fabrication
- A person or firm who imports on consignment
8. Classification
Classification is the process of assigning a 10 digit number from the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to a product. Every item that arrives in the U.S. from a foreign country must be classified. The classification of an item determines its duty rate and whether it requires clearance by any other government agency. If you are not familiar with the classification process, navigate to https://hts.usitc.gov for the U.S. International Trade Commission’s online HTS resource or contact our office for classification courses.
9. Customs Valuation
Valuation is the basis of appraisement in accordance with 19 CFR 152.101 which is to be applied in order of the following hierarchy:
- Transaction Value - Total price actually paid or payable for the merchandise when sold for exportation to the United States, plus certain statutory additions
- Transaction Value of Identical Merchandise - Based on transaction value of previously imported merchandise
- Transaction Value of Similar Merchandise - Based on transaction value of previously imported merchandise
- Deductive Value - Selling price in the US less certain post-importation costs; Selling price in the US less certain post-importation costs
- Computed Value - Foreign supplier cost for materials, processing, profit, general expenses, and U.S. assist and packing costs
6. Fallback ("Derived") Value - A method derived from one of the preceding methods, with the rules reasonably adjusted.
The following statutory additions must be considered when determining transaction value:
- Packing Costs
- Selling Commissions
- Proceeds - Proceeds of any subsequent resale, disposal, or use of the imported merchandise that accrue to the seller
- Royalties - Any royalty or license fee related to the imported merchandise that the buyer is required to pay, directly or indirectly, as a condition of the sale of the imported merchandise for exportation to the United States
Assists - Any of the following if supplied directly or indirectly, and free of charge or at reduced cost, by the buyer of the imported merchandise for use in connection with the production or the sale for export to the United States of the merchandise such as:
- Materials components, parts and similar items incorporated in the imported merchandise
- Tools, dies, molds and similar items used in the production of the merchandise
- Merchandise consumed in the production of the imported merchandise
- Engineering, development, artwork, design work, and plans and sketches that are undertaken elsewhere than in the United States and are necessary for the production of the imported merchandise
Allowable deductions from Transaction Value
If the price shown on the commercial invoice includes buying commissions, charges for transportation, insurance , or other related services to the international shipment of your merchandise from the country of exportation, these charges may be deducted from the value of the merchandise if you know the actual amount of the charges and can substantiate the charges with any of the following acceptable documents:
- Buying Commissions supported by a buying agency agreement wherein the importer controls the buyer
- An invoice or written contract separately listing freight/insurance costs
- A freight/insurance invoice
- Through Bill of Lading which shows the charges
- Proof of payment of the freight/insurance charges
10. Related Party Transactions
CBP requires that an indication be made as to whether you as the importer are related to any of your overseas suppliers. CBP defines related parties as any one of the following:
- Members of the same family, including brothers and sisters (whether by whole or half blood), spouse, ancestors, & descendants.
- Any officer or director of related organizations, as well as those organizations themselves.
- An officer or director of an organization and an officer or director of another organization, if each individual also is an officer or director in the other organization.
- Partners
- Employer and employee
- Any person directly or indirectly owning, controlling, or holding with power to vote, 5 percent or more of the outstanding voting stock or shares of a related organization and the organization itself.
- Two or more persons directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with, any other person.
11. Trade Programs / Trade Remedies
Free Trade Agreements
If yes, please indicate which Free Trade Agreements apply to your merchandise and confirm supporting documentation will be provided to our office in support of the FTA's.
Trade Remedies
Countervailing (if yes, include the following)
Antidumping (if yes, include the following)
Drawback
Binding Rulings
12. Intellectual Property / Marking / Partner Government Agencies
Trademark and/or Copyright Certifications
Country of Origin Marking
Partner Government Agencies
13. C-TPAT
C-TPAT is the "Customs and Trade Partnership Against Terrorism" program. Participants are required to take steps to secure their supply chain and in return are provided various benefits by CBP. For more information on C-TPAT, please navigate to https://www.cbp.gov/border-security/ports-entry/cargo-security/ctpat.
14. Reconciliation
Reconciliation is a CBP program which allows an importer to file entries with the best available information at the time with the understanding that certain data may change. For more information on reconciliation, please navigate to https://www.cbp.gov/trade/programs-administration/entry-summary/reconciliation
15. Duty Payments
Estimated duties are generally deposited with the entry summary. When the summary is filed after entry, it is generally due within 10 working days after entry; approved periodic monthly statement procedures may provide a different payment schedule. Please indicate the method you use to pay your duty:
If Broker's ACH, please note a 3% disbursement fee, minimum $50.00 applies
If Importer's ACH, please provide the payer unit number and specify the payment type
16. Import History
17. Supporting Documents to Submit
Please provide the following supporting documents separately with your completed questionnaire, as applicable. Indicate the submission status of each item below. A selection on this form does not replace the document itself.
Documents to provide with your intake
Contact Catalyst for secure submission instructions before sending photo ID. Do not enter ID numbers or place ID images in this questionnaire. If identification is unavailable, contact Catalyst to discuss alternative verification evidence.