U.S. Licensed Customs Broker Needed — HTS Classification & Pre-Import Compliance Review for China-to-USA Retail Kit

Freelancer job title
U.S. Licensed Customs Broker Needed — HTS Classification & Pre-Import Compliance Review for China-to-USA Retail Kit

Job advertisement
We are a U.S. New Mexico LLC preparing our first commercial import from Qingdao, China, for sale through Amazon FBA in the United States.

We are seeking an active U.S. Customs and Border Protection licensed customs broker—not a general freight forwarder, sourcing agent, or unlicensed consultant—to provide an independent pre-import customs-compliance assessment and written HTSUS classification review.

The first shipment is complete and ready to ship. We plan to import the same product repeatedly, so we want to establish a correct, repeatable compliance process before moving the shipment and before placing future orders.

Product
The product is a sealed, retail-ready, non-food boot-care kit, labelled “Sold as Set.”

Each kit contains:

One finished solid-walnut wooden boot jack with a suede-lined heel cradle

Two finished pine-wood boot brushes

One canvas storage bag

One polyester cleaning cloth

The expected first shipment is:

Origin: Qingdao, China

Quantity: 500 retail kits

Packing: 42 master cartons

Approximate volume: 4.12 CBM

Approximate gross weight: 642 kg

Genuine supplier commercial-invoice value: USD 4,445

Destination: U.S. Amazon FBA warehouse or U.S. 3PL

Intended transport: LCL ocean freight

The manufacturer has confirmed final assembly in Shandong, China. Preliminary wood information is available, including walnut genus Juglans, confirmation that the wood is finished/bark-free, and basic factory/no-Xinjiang statements. However, scientific species, country of harvest, pine data, accessory sourcing, suede composition, and canvas fibre composition are currently incomplete. We need advice on exactly what must be obtained before shipment.

Required scope
Please provide a concise written report or memorandum, not only an HTS code, that covers:

Recommended 10-digit HTSUS classification for the complete retail kit, including analysis of whether it qualifies as a retail set and the essential-character/classification rationale.

Ordinary duty rate and all applicable China-origin tariff exposure, including relevant Chapter 99 / Section 301 treatment.

Initial AD/CVD scope screening and identification of any apparent issue.

Written determination of whether a Lacey Act declaration is likely required for the completed imported retail kit, based on the proposed HTSUS classification and current APHIS implementation schedule.

If a Lacey declaration or other wood-related requirement applies, a clear list of the exact data/documents needed from the supplier—for example, scientific genus/species, country of harvest, wood quantity, value, supplier identity, treatment/processing records, or supporting source documents.

Preliminary screening for USDA/APHIS, animal-product considerations if the suede is genuine animal material, EPA/TSCA, CPSC, country-of-origin marking, wood-packing/ISPM-15, and any other government-agency requirements that appear relevant.

Proportionate UFLPA / forced-labour risk screening and a practical list of records to retain or obtain before shipment.

A prioritised checklist separating:

Mandatory information/documents before shipment

Information recommended but not shipment-critical

Information required only if a particular classification, agency rule, examination, or CBP request applies

Identification of potential product, material, packaging, or kit-composition changes that could reduce compliance complexity or avoid an undesirable classification/tariff outcome for future production.

A concise Go / No-Go recommendation for the ready inventory, including key uncertainties or actions needed before the goods depart China.

Deliverables
Written report in English, preferably PDF or Word, approximately 2–6 pages plus any tables/checklists.

Recommended HTSUS classification with rationale.

Duty/tariff summary based on Chinese origin and declared value of USD 4,445.

Prioritised supplier-document checklist.

One 30–45 minute video/phone call to discuss findings and answer questions.

Optional separate quote for preparing a formal prospective CBP binding classification-ruling request. We are not automatically commissioning a ruling under this job.

Required qualifications
Please apply only if you can provide:

Your full legal name or brokerage firm legal name.

Your active U.S. customs broker licence number.

Your CBP permit/filer code, if applicable.

Confirmation that you are currently permitted to conduct U.S. customs business.

Experience classifying composite consumer goods, retail sets, wood products, home/gift products, footwear accessories, or similar merchandise.

Experience with China-origin tariff analysis and Lacey Act applicability.

Confirmation that you will personally perform or supervise the review.

Confirmation of whether you are willing to provide a separate quote for later entry filing, binding ruling support, or brokerage services.

Please do not apply if you cannot verify your active CBP broker credentials. We will independently verify credentials against CBP’s Permitted Customs Broker Listing before award.

Documents available
The successful applicant will receive:

Product photographs of the complete kit and individual components.

Retail-box and master-carton photos/markings.

Supplier commercial invoice and packing list/pro forma documents.

Product dimensions, weights, carton details, and quantities.

Manufacturer identity and Shandong factory address.

Existing supplier material/compliance information.

A list of unresolved supplier-information gaps.

We are looking for a practical, commercially aware expert who can distinguish between genuine legal requirements and merely “nice to have” documentation, so that we can import correctly without burdening the supplier unnecessarily.