Quick answer
A customs house agent (CHA), officially a licensed customs broker, files your Bill of Entry or Shipping Bill on ICEGATE, checks your documents and HS code, works out the duty, answers customs queries, attends examination and gets your cargo released. In Surat, choose a CHA who is licensed, works at the ports you actually use (such as Hazira, ICD Sachin, Mundra, Kandla or Ahmedabad Air Cargo), knows your product, gives written charges upfront, and gives you one person to call.
Key takeaways
- "CHA" is the common name. The legal term today is customs broker, under the Customs Brokers Licensing Regulations, 2018.
- A good CHA checks your documents and HS code before filing, not after customs raises a query.
- Asking for your KYC is a legal duty of the broker, not red tape.
- Ask for written charges that separate the agency fee from port, CFS and shipping line charges.
- Choose a CHA with a team at your ports and experience with your product.
In this guide
CHA or customs broker: what's the difference?
None. "Custom house agent" is the old name from earlier licensing rules, and most traders in India still say CHA. Today the role is called customs broker, licensed under the Customs Brokers Licensing Regulations, 2018 (CBLR). A licensed broker can transact business with customs on behalf of importers and exporters.
What a CHA does for your shipment
- Checks your invoice, packing list and Bill of Lading against each other before filing.
- Confirms the HS code, the import or export policy, and the licences needed.
- Works out the duty in advance, or the export benefits you can claim.
- Files the Bill of Entry or Shipping Bill on ICEGATE and uploads documents through e-Sanchit.
- Replies to customs queries and follows up with the assessing officer.
- Attends examination at the port, CFS or ICD.
- Coordinates the delivery order, port charges and transport once customs releases the cargo.
Some CHAs, Neptoria included, also handle ocean freight, transport, marine insurance and cargo claims, so one team runs the whole shipment.
What the law expects from your CHA
Under the CBLR, a customs broker must verify each client's identity, IEC, GSTIN and address using reliable documents. They must advise clients to follow customs law, and must not withhold information from customs. So when a CHA asks for your KYC documents and an authorisation letter before your first shipment, they are doing their job properly.
How to choose a CHA in Surat: 7 things to check
1. Licensed and working at your port
Ask who holds the customs broker licence and which customs stations the team files and works at.
2. A team at the ports you actually use
Surat traders mostly use Hazira Port, ICD Sachin, Mundra, Kandla and Ahmedabad Air Cargo. A CHA with people on the ground at your port can attend examination and chase the paperwork in person. Not sure which port suits you? See our Surat port guide.
3. Experience with your product
Textiles, diamonds, chemicals, machinery, agri products and plastics each have their own HS code traps, licences, anti-dumping duties and export benefits. Ask what similar cargo they have cleared.
4. Clear, written charges
Ask for a written quote that separates the agency fee from pass-through charges: shipping line, terminal, CFS, transport and duty. Ask what is included and what could be extra, such as examination, extra documentation or detention.
5. One person to call
You should know who is handling your shipment and get updates without chasing. Ask how they share updates. WhatsApp is what most Surat businesses prefer.
6. Checks before filing
Ask how they check documents and HS codes before filing. Most delays and penalties come from errors that a careful check would have caught.
7. Help beyond clearance
If you also need freight, transport, insurance or help with a claim, one team for all of it saves you time and handovers.
Questions to ask before you hire a CHA
- Which ports, ICDs and air cargo complexes do you clear at, and do you have your own staff there?
- Who will be my contact person, and how will you update me?
- Can you confirm my HS code and estimate the duty before the cargo ships?
- What exactly is included in your charges, and what could be extra?
- Have you cleared my type of product before? Which licences will I need?
- Can you also arrange freight, transport and insurance?
Red flags to watch for
- Promises to "manage" customs or lower the declared value. Under-valuation risks penalties and seizure, and you are liable as the importer.
- No written quote, or charges that can't be explained line by line.
- Not asking for KYC, or asking you to sign blank documents.
- No one available to answer when your cargo is held.
About Neptoria
Neptoria Clearing And Logistics Private Limited is a customs house agent based in Punagam, Surat, with a 20-member team. We are members of the Mundra Customs Broker Association and the South Gujarat Chamber of Commerce. We clear cargo at Hazira, ICD Sachin, Mundra, Kandla and Ahmedabad Air Cargo, for importers and exporters trading between India and the world. Learn more about us, or get a quote.
Frequently asked questions
No. A freight forwarder books cargo space with shipping lines and airlines. A CHA or customs broker handles customs clearance. Some companies, including Neptoria, do both, so one team handles the whole shipment.
Importers and exporters can file their own declarations on ICEGATE. Most businesses use a CHA for every shipment, because they know the procedure, attend examination and deal with customs queries.
Charges depend on the port, the cargo, FCL or LCL, the documents involved and whether the cargo is examined. Ask for an itemised written quote. We send our charges upfront before we start.
Yes, if they work at those customs stations. Neptoria is based in Surat and has customs teams for Hazira and ICD Sachin, for Mundra and Kandla, and for Ahmedabad Air Cargo.
Usually your IEC, GST certificate, PAN, address proof, an authorisation letter, and the shipment documents: invoice, packing list and Bill of Lading or Airway Bill.
Related services
Neptoria customs team
Written by the customs and documentation team at Neptoria Clearing And Logistics, a customs house agent in Surat that clears cargo at Hazira, ICD Sachin, Mundra, Kandla and Ahmedabad Air Cargo.
Rules and rates change. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Last updated 9 November 2026.
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