Customs Compliance Services for US Importers
Customs compliance is the work of getting your HTS classifications, customs value, and records right, so CBP has no reason to penalize you and you do not overpay duty. Platton helps US importers review classifications, estimate duty and landed cost, monitor tariff changes, and recover duty through drawback. The legal responsibility for the HTS code and the declared value stays with you as the importer of record; our job is to make that responsibility easier to carry.
How Platton Supports Importers on Classification and Compliance
Platton works as the review-and-guidance layer around your imports. We do not file your entries, that runs through customs clearance and licensed customs brokers, and we do not certify your HTS codes. We review, flag, estimate, and document, so the decisions you sign off on are backed by reasoning instead of a guess.
HTS Classification Review and Guidance
Send us your products and we review the HTS codes against composition, function, and intended use, and against the USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule and the General Rules of Interpretation. Where a code looks wrong, or a product could fall under more than one heading, we lay out the options and the reasoning. The final classification is yours to declare; our part is to make it defensible.
Customs Valuation Review and Duty Estimates
CBP appraises most imports on transaction value, but assists, royalties, and buying commissions can change the dutiable amount. Platton reviews how your value is built and gives you an estimated duty and landed-cost figure before the goods ship, so there is no surprise at entry. The number is an estimate to plan around; the declared value stays your responsibility.
Duty Drawback on Re-Exported Goods
If you import goods and later export them, in the same condition or built into a finished product, you may be able to recover up to 99% of the duty you paid. Most importers never claim it because tracking eligible shipments is tedious. Platton finds the qualifying transactions and prepares the drawback claim, so the recovery actually happens.
The Compliance Mistakes That Cost Importers the Most
When You Miss a Tariff or Section 301 Change
Section 301 duties, AD/CVD orders, and exclusion expirations move constantly. Run last quarter's rate and you are either underpaying and risking a penalty or overpaying and losing margin quietly. Platton monitors the changes that hit your product categories and flags them before your next entry, and the China lane, where Section 301 exposure is highest, gets the closest watch.
When CBP Opens a Focused Assessment
A Focused Assessment means CBP is auditing your compliance controls, your classification, valuation, and record-keeping, and it can reach back across 5 years of imports. Without organized records and a consistent practice, penalties compound fast. Platton helps you keep audit-ready documentation from the start, so an audit is something you answer, not something you dread.
When Your Supplier's HS Code Looks Wrong
Suppliers classify for export from their own country, not for US import, so the HS code on the invoice is often a poor fit. Platton flags codes that look off and walks you through the correct analysis using the USITC schedule and the GRIs. We do not put a code on your entry for you; we make sure the code you declare is one you can stand behind.
When You Are Not Sure of a Product's Country of Origin
When a product is transformed across several countries, its country of origin for marking and for preferential duty is not obvious. Get it wrong and you face marking duties, detained goods, or a lost trade preference. Platton helps you work through the country-of-origin call per SKU and document the basis for each one.
When You Are Too Small for a Trade Compliance Team
You do not need to hire one. Platton acts as your outside compliance function: reviewing classifications, monitoring rule changes, preparing audit documentation, and flagging duty savings. You get the coverage a trade-compliance team would give, without adding headcount.
What Platton's Compliance Review Covers
A Platton compliance engagement is review, guidance, and monitoring, not filing or certification:
- HTS classification review and guidanceagainst product specs, the USITC schedule, and the GRIs
- Customs valuation reviewand an estimated duty and landed-cost calculation
- Country-of-origin determination support and marking guidance
- Duty drawback identification and claim preparationfor re-exported and manufacturing-drawback goods
- Section 301, AD/CVD, and trade-preference monitoringfor your product categories
- Audit-ready documentation and record-keepingaligned with CBP's Reasonable Care standard
What Sits With You and With Other Parts of Your Import
Compliance has clear edges, and we keep them honest:
- Entry filing and CBP release:handled on customs clearance.
- Carrier, demurrage, and port charges:handled through freight and drayage coordination.
- The accuracy of the HTS code and the declared value:by law, your responsibility as the importer. Platton reviews and advises; the declaration is yours.
- Trade sanctions screening (OFAC):not offered. For sanctions and export-control questions, use qualified legal counsel.
Where Customs Compliance Connects to Your Imports
Compliance sits next to the parts of the import Platton also runs.
Customs Compliance FAQs
Customs compliance is making sure your imports are classified, valued, and documented correctly under US customs law, so you meet CBP's requirements and do not overpay. By law, the importer of record is responsible for the HTS classification and the declared value. Platton helps you get them right and document the reasoning, but the legal responsibility stays with you.
Clearance is the operational step: filing ISF and the entry and getting cargo released. Compliance is the layer around it: making sure the classification is sound, the valuation is defensible, the records are audit-ready, and you are not overpaying. Platton runs compliance as an ongoing review, not a per-shipment filing.
No. Neither a freight forwarder nor a customs broker is responsible for determining your HTS code; by law that sits with the importer and the exporter. Platton helps you review the code, gives guidance using the USITC schedule and the General Rules of Interpretation, and documents the reasoning, but the final classification is yours to declare.
Drawback lets you recover up to 99% of the duty paid on imported goods that are later exported, either unused or built into an exported product. If you import components and export finished goods, or re-export unsold stock, you likely qualify. Platton identifies the eligible transactions and prepares the claim.
Under 19 USC 1484, importers must use reasonable care when classifying, valuing, and declaring goods: using qualified resources rather than copying the supplier, documenting the reasoning, and keeping records for 5 years. CBP uses the standard to set penalties. Platton builds this documentation into every engagement, so the care you exercised is on the record.
At minimum when a product changes, when rates change (Section 301 updates, AD/CVD orders), and before a CBP audit. A yearly review of your top-volume SKUs is good practice. Platton flags the changes that matter and recommends a re-review when a duty saving is on the table.
A continuous customs bond is sized at 10% of the duties, taxes, and fees you paid in the prior 12 months, with a $50,000 minimum. Most importers sit at that $50,000 minimum, which covers annual duty up to about $500,000, and the premium on it usually runs $400 to $600 a year. Single-entry bonds run $50 to $100 or more per shipment, so past roughly 6 to 8 imports a year a continuous bond tends to pay off.
Get a Compliance Review for Your Import Program
If you are not sure your classifications would survive an audit, or you suspect you are overpaying duty or leaving drawback unclaimed, a Platton compliance review is the place to start. We find the gaps, document the care, and show you where the money is, while the decisions stay yours.