How to file a customs entry

I am not really going to tell you how to file a customs entry. It's quite complicated, in any country. It's a bit like filing a tax return.

In the U.S., importers are allowed to file customs entries directly with the government. They are not required to use a broker. But, as of now, most do.

All of the big express companies have their own in-house Customs broker, or sub-contract the services as needed. Here is the link for Fed-Ex Trade Networks.

As one of the largest-volume customs entry filers in North America, we handle more than 6 million transactions annually.

But the big guys aren't happy with what the WTO is doing. From the American Shipper

Express carriers voiced concern this week that the World Trade Organization and World Customs Organization appear to be “retreating” on a previous commitment to eliminate national mandates for companies to file import declarations to customs administration via customs brokers.
The Brussels-based Global Express Association told the heads of the WTO and WCO in a Dec. 2 letter that the use of customs brokers should not be a requirement for companies to interact with national customs administrations.
Mandated use of the services of a favored professional group is a symptom of and contributor to political corruption,” warned John P. Simpson, director general of the association, which represents UPS, FedEx, DHL and TNT.
Express carriers, with their capacity as both transporter and importer, believe they are technologically and regulatory sophisticated enough to interact with customs administrations directly.
“Customs brokers can provide highly valuable services and many importers choose to use the services of customs brokers even when they are free to submit their own declarations,” he added. “But customs brokers like all other professionals should rely on the market for their business, not government coercion. Governments should not be in the business of mandating use of private commercial services.”

I am not really sure why these express carriers are opposed to this. There are a lot of countries in the world, each with their own import regulations. International shipping can be quite complicated. And honestly, do these express companies really want the liability of filing entries for packages they don't actually own?