Customs and Ship Brokers
Job description
Customs Brokers clear goods through customs and bring them to their destination. They perform these tasks on behalf of their import and export clients.
Ship Brokers buy and sell space on board cargo ships. They buy and sell ships, yachts, and other boats on behalf of their clients.
Main tasks
Customs Brokers
- Prepare and complete customs clearance forms and documents on behalf of their clients according to current standards.
- Sign customs clearance documents on behalf of clients using powers of attorney.
- Carry out various operations for taxable goods (payment of import duties, warehousing, transportation, etc.).
- Inform customers of the rates and restrictions applicable to different items.
- Represent clients before administrative tribunals or in negotiations with other government officials.
Ship Brokers
- Buy and sell space for cargo in ship holds.
- Inform customers of the space available in the ship’s holds, the place and time of departure, the destination, and the fare.
- Charter vessels for customers.
- Negotiate conditions and rates.
- Draft contracts and other documents.
- Inspect vessels, note particulars, and negotiate the purchase or sale price on behalf of clients.
- Dispatch and sell ships, yachts, and other craft on behalf of clients.
- Arrange cargo or vessel insurance.
- Obtain registration and licences for vessels.
Hourly wage
The hourly wage is calculated by averaging wages from 2022 to 2024.- Minimum
- $20.51
- Median
- $25.64
- Maximum
- $40.87
Job prospects for 2024-2028
Les 2 champs de sélection ci-dessous vous permettent de comparer 2 régions. Les données des régions seront automatiquement mises à jour à la sélection. Par défaut, la province de Québec est sélectionnée pour la première région.
Job prospects for 2024-2028
Job prospects
All of Québec
Good
All of Québec
Non available
Total jobs for 2023
All of Québec
1,000
All of Québec
na
Gender distribution
All of Québec
Not available.
- 42.6% Female
- 57.4% Male
Not available.
- 42.6% Female
- 57.4% Male
Job types
All of Québec
Not available.
- Full time
- Part time
Not available.
- Full time
- Part time
Yearly wage on 2020
All of Québec
$56,400
All of Québec
Other characteristics
All of Québec
- None
All of Québec
- None
Sectors of activity
All of Québec
Not available.
-
NAICS 48, 4985% of jobs
-
NAICS 414% of jobs
-
NAICS 912% of jobs
-
NAICS 5416, 54172% of jobs
-
NAICS 3312% of jobs
-
Others5% of jobs
All of Québec
Not available.
-
NAICS 48, 4985% of jobs
-
NAICS 414% of jobs
-
NAICS 912% of jobs
-
NAICS 5416, 54172% of jobs
-
NAICS 3312% of jobs
-
Others5% of jobs
Training and requirements
Formation
Most training programs are offered in French only.
College
DCS in gestion des opérations et de la chaîne logistique
Code : 410A1
Placement rate: 78.7%
17% of graduates pursue further studies
Also required
Customs Brokers
- Customs Broker course.
- Customs Broker licence required for individuals and companies operating in customs brokerage.
Sometimes required
- Some post-secondary education in business or a related discipline may be required.
- Experience and in-depth knowledge of various types of boats often required of marine brokers who sell boats.
- Related training or experience, such as scheduling in a shipping company, often required for Ship Brokers who sell space on cargo ships.
Main skills and characteristics
Skills
- Data collection
- Information processing
- Active listening
- Reading comprehension
- Written expression
- Oral expression
- Critical thought
- Solving complex problems
- Active learning
- Result evaluation
- Time management
- Judgment and decision-making
- Service oriented
- Learning strategies
- System analysis
- Coordination
- Teaching
- Human resource management
- Mathematics
- Negotiation
- Social perception
Abilities
- Written comprehension
- Deductive reasoning
- Oral comprehension
- Written expression
- Verbal skills
- Near vision
- Speech clarity
- Information organization
- Classification
- Speech recognition
- Inductive reasoning
- Awareness of issues
- Selective attention
- Idea generation
- Processing flexibility
Knowledge and attributes
- Leadership
- Focussed on results
- Capacity to influence and mobilize
- Knowledge of economics and accounting
- Professional ambition
- Strategic sense
- Sense of initiative
- Sense of observation
- Availability
- Knowledge of laws and policies
Interests
- Draft, communicate, and inform
- Work in sales or client service
- Work in an office
Personality profiles (RIASEC)
- Enterprising
- People with this profile prefer having responsibilities, influencing others and responding to challenges.
- Conventional
- People with this profile prefer specific, well-defined tasks. They like to respect the order of things and follow established rules.
- Social
- People with this profile prefer to be in contact with others, in particular to entertain, help or teach them.
Official name of the NOC 13200
Customs, ship and other brokers
Job titles
- Customs broker
- Shipbroker
- Customs clearance agent
- Ship agent
- Chartered shipbroker
- Customs consultant
- Licensed customs broker
- Qualified customs broker
- Designated shipbroker
- Oil lease broker
- Yacht broker
- Cargo broker
- Customs information broker
- Gas broker
- Royalty broker
- Supply chain specialist - customs brokerage
- Customs rater
Skill type
Business, finance and administration
Last update: January 29, 2026
Page evaluation