The Italian Council of Customs Brokers (CNSD), professional order established by law 22 December 1960, n. 1612 is the body entrusted with the task to co-ordinate, control and provide training to the Customs Brokers (or “Doganalisti”) inscribed to the relevant professional Roll. Customs brokers are defined by law as “experts in customs, tax, merchandise and currency issues as well as on all the aspects related to international trade”.

The title of “customs broker” is reserved only to those who have passed a special State exam (this is aimed to ascertain the holding of particular requirements of competence and “reliability”) and subject to the possession of a license regularly released by the customs Agency. 
                       
The CNSD is based in Rome and counts more than 2.300 members. His structure is articulated at local level in 14 Compartmental Councils whose territorial competence coincides with that of the Regional Directorates of the Customs Agency.
The CNSD tasks can be summarized as follows:

• protection and representation of its members interests before all the governmental bodies and agencies involved in international trade (and particularly the Customs Agency);

• collaboration with the other institutional entities and bodies, in order to contribute to streamline international transactions, allowing targeted and effective controls and preventing at the same time illicit trade;

• promotion and development of strategic partnerships with its homologues, to create favorable conditions for the development of international trade and the customs broker business;
  
  
  
  
• collaboration with bodies and institutions active in the international trade field, as well as with the private sector, for the development of innovative solutions aimed to enhance and promote exchanges;
  
  
  
  
• provision to customs brokers of accurate, timely and updated technical-operational information in the customs and international trade field;
  
  
  
• provision of training and professional upgrading services, through the arrangement of meetings, seminars, training courses, publications and other initiatives aimed to promote the professional development of its members.

The customs broker acts as a partner of companies, assisting them with the due competence and professionalism in the planning of their import/export operations, always looking for those solutions that can better guarantee the economy of the operation and the correct fulfillment of the customs and administrative formalities and procedures.

Indeed, procedures related to international exchange are particularly complex and burdensome (e.g. the formalities concerning the clearance of goods - with the related safeguard of the tax interests of the operator - the fulfillment of the sanitary, environmental, security and safety requirements, etc).

Customs brokers moreover, play an essential role of support for economic operators in their commercial dealings with foreign partners, assisting them in planning their business and in administering relations with customs, as well as with the other public and private bodies involved to an international transaction.

For further information on the Italian Council of Customs Brokers, please, visit the website: www.cnsd.it.