We make customs legible.
CustomsScanner unifies tariff classification, landed-cost estimation, a network of licensed customs brokers and entry-status tracking into one fast search surface — built for importers, exporters and trade compliance teams who are tired of finding out what a shipment costs after it has already arrived.
- Licensed brokers
- 10+
- Countries covered
- 20+
- Ports of entry
- 30+
- Duty marked up
- 0%
What CustomsScanner does
Four capabilities, one workflow: classify the goods, cost the shipment, pick a broker, watch it clear.
HS classification
Search the tariff by product description or by code and walk the chapter → heading → subheading tree in one view. We show the destination-specific duty rate beside each candidate, flag free-trade-agreement preference, and attach any binding rulings we hold — so you can see not just which code fits, but what choosing it costs.
OpenLanded cost estimates
Duty, VAT/GST, statutory fees (MPF, HMF and their equivalents) and brokerage, itemised per destination. Government charges are shown at cost and never marked up, so a quote tells you plainly which part goes to the treasury, which to the broker, and which to us.
OpenBroker marketplace
A directory of licensed customs brokers, filterable by country, entry type and partner-agency specialism. We verify a licence before a broker can be listed. Filing is theirs — we make sure they receive a complete document set instead of a half-finished email thread.
OpenEntry status tracking
Entry numbers and MRNs from filed through to customs release, on one timeline. Exam holds, partner-agency reviews and information requests surface the moment they appear rather than when someone thinks to check the portal.
OpenWhy we built CustomsScanner
Cross-border trade runs on a document that most importers never read: the tariff schedule. Tens of thousands of headings, chapter notes that override each other, duty rates that differ by origin, and preference programmes that are worth real money to anyone who notices they apply. Getting the code wrong is not a rounding error — it is a penalty, a delayed release, or years of overpaid duty nobody reconciled.
The information exists. It is just scattered across national tariff portals, PDF chapter notes, ruling databases and the working memory of individual brokers. So the small importer guesses, the large importer pays a consultant to guess more confidently, and both find out the real number after the goods land.
CustomsScanner is the search layer over that mess. We normalise the tariff, put the destination-specific duty rate next to the code, show the landed cost broken out into government charges and service fees, and hand the whole file to a broker who is licensed to actually file it. We do not touch the duty — government charges pass through at cost. Our incentive is to get you the right code, not an expensive one.
How we deliver it
Three commitments shape every technical decision on the platform.
Estimates labelled as estimates
Every duty and tax figure carries its status on the same screen: a planning estimate, not legal or classification advice. We would rather lose a conversion than have an importer declare our number believing we certified it.
Licence verified before listing
A broker's licence is checked before it appears in the directory and re-checked periodically. That is a status check, not an endorsement — but it means the person you are about to give a power of attorney to is at least entitled to hold one.
Broker-neutral by design
We do not take referral fees for steering you to a particular broker, and ranking is not for sale. Our service margin is the same disclosed line item whichever broker you pick, so we have no reason to prefer one over another.
Where we are
We are pre-launch and building in the open. Rather than describe features that do not exist yet, the changelog lists exactly what has shipped, and the status page shows nothing it cannot measure. If a capability on this page matters to you, tell us and it moves up the queue.
Frequently asked questions
What is CustomsScanner?
CustomsScanner is a customs clearance and compliance platform. It unifies tariff classification, duty and tax estimation, a directory of 10+ licensed customs brokers and entry-status tracking into a single search-first interface for importers, exporters and trade compliance teams.
Do you file customs entries?
No. CustomsScanner is not a customs broker and does not file entries. Filing is done by the licensed broker you select through the platform — in the United States a CBP-licensed broker filing through ABI/ACE, in the EU and UK an established declarant with an EORI number. We classify, estimate, verify licences, pass documents and report status; the filing relationship and the power of attorney are between you and your broker.
Are your duty figures accurate enough to rely on?
They are planning estimates, not determinations. Tariff classification is a legal judgement about facts we cannot independently verify, and duty rates, preference eligibility and de minimis thresholds change without notice. Use our numbers to compare options and budget; confirm the number you actually declare with your broker or the customs authority, and get a binding ruling where certainty matters.
How many brokers and countries do you cover?
We cover 10+ licensed customs brokers across 20+ countries, and hold reference data for 30+ ports of entry. Coverage depth varies by market — a broker's profile lists exactly which countries and entry types it handles, and each port-of-entry page names the authority with jurisdiction.
How is this different from asking my broker directly?
It is not a replacement for your broker — it is what happens before you email them. An importer pricing one shipment against three destinations, checking whether an FTA applies and finding out whether a partner agency is involved will otherwise wait a day per question. CustomsScanner answers those in seconds and then hands the broker a complete file, so their time goes on the judgement calls instead of chasing documents.
Do I need an account to look up an HS code?
No — classification search and duty estimates are available without an account. Handing an entry to a broker, saved classifications, document control and duty-spend analytics require a paid plan, starting at $2.99/month.
Do you mark up duty or tax?
Never. Government duty, VAT/GST and statutory fees pass through at cost. We earn from the subscription and from a disclosed service margin on the broker fee, shown as its own line item in every quote.
Ready to price a shipment properly?
Classify against the tariff and see the landed cost before the goods move. No account required to start.