What an import/export coordinator does
An import and export coordinator manages the paperwork and coordination behind international shipments. They work with suppliers, freight forwarders and customs brokers to arrange shipments, check commercial invoices and packing lists, confirm tariff classification under the Harmonized System, apply the correct origin and tariff treatment, and track goods through customs. For exports, they prepare documentation, report shipments where required and confirm whether permits are needed.
Customs errors are rarely visible on the day goods clear. They tend to appear later, as adjustments, reassessments or penalties from the Canada Border Services Agency. Since the CBSA moved importers onto the CARM Client Portal, many companies also need someone in-house who understands their account, their broker's delegated access and how duties and taxes are paid. Finch screens for that level of trade knowledge, not just shipment booking.
Typical responsibilities
- Coordinate international shipments with suppliers, freight forwarders and customs brokers
- Check commercial invoices, packing lists and origin documents before goods ship
- Maintain HS tariff classifications and product records in your ERP
- Confirm eligibility for preferential tariff treatment under CUSMA and other trade agreements
- Manage the company's CARM Client Portal account in co-operation with your customs broker
- Prepare export documentation and identify goods that need export or import permits
Qualifications and credentials
- A diploma or degree in international trade, supply chain or business
- Experience with Canadian customs procedures, tariff classification and rules of origin
- The Certified Customs Specialist (CCS) designation from the Canadian Society of Customs Brokers is a strong asset
- Familiarity with Incoterms and freight forwarding for ocean, air and cross-border truck shipments
- Careful record-keeping, since importers must keep customs records available for CBSA review
Who hires an import/export coordinator
- Importers and distributors of consumer, industrial or food products
- Manufacturers sourcing components overseas or exporting to the United States
- Retailers and e-commerce businesses with offshore suppliers
- Freight forwarders and logistics providers
Where we recruit import/export coordinator candidates
We fill import/export coordinator roles for employers across Toronto and the GTA, including North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill, Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville, Burlington, Oshawa and Pickering, and for employers across Canada. GTA employers can meet us at our North York office by appointment.
What Finch checks before you meet a candidate
- Depth of hands-on classification work and the product types they classified
- Experience with CUSMA certifications of origin and other preferential trade programs
- Familiarity with the CARM Client Portal and working relationships with customs brokers
- How they handled a customs hold, CBSA inquiry or classification dispute
- Eligibility to work in Canada and availability for time-sensitive shipment issues
Interview questions to ask
- How do you approach classifying a product that could fit under more than one tariff heading?
- A supplier cannot provide origin documentation for goods you claimed under CUSMA. What do you do?
- What do you check on a commercial invoice before you send it to the broker?