U.S. Customs Form: CBP Form 5297 – Power of Attorney

U.S. Customs Form 5297 is used to file a Customs Power of Attorney which authorizes a licensed customs broker to conduct Customs business on behalf of a client.  Under 19 CFR, the legislation governing U.S. Customs, any individual or corporation may conduct customs business on their own behalf. However, only a licensed customs broker may conduct customs business on behalf of another individual.

Before that can happen, the broker must have the client sign and return a Customs Power of Attorney authorizing the broker to act as their agent before Customs. The power of attorney does not need to be filed with Customs, however the broker must have a copy on hand in their offices to avoid significant fines. The Customs Power of Attorney does not grant the broker the power to conduct any non-U.S. Customs business on their behalf, and the broker certainly does not need to be a licensed attorney to perform the function of a customs broker.

Leave a Reply