Our History
Back in 1991 when we created NoGlobalBorders as a software company (we were called Fleetrade back then), “We hate customs brokers!” was our guiding principle. Our PC software allowed Canadian companies to electronically customs clear their own shipments, and when we’d talk to Canadian importers they would show us their brokerage invoices, which were a mish-mash of cryptic billing codes and inexplicable charges. It seemed to us that the brokerage industry was propped up by “good ol’ boy” relationships that exploited the lack of customs knowledge of Canadian Importers in the 1990’s to overcharge for not-very-good service.
Ten years in, we realized that not every importer wanted to manage their own customs processes. We modified the self-clearance software we had written for larger companies, and started using it ourselves to provide customs brokerage services for smaller businesses. “Eating our own dog food”, if you will.
Even though we had become one of those “hated” customs brokers, we were determined to run our brokerage with the same set of core principles we brought to our software company: intuitive, transparent pricing, a commitment to ethical behavior that meant the customer wasn’t “always right”, and a promise that we would serve our smaller clients with the same care with which we handled our larger accounts. As a small but scrappy company, we wanted to be the customs broker for other small businesses and entrepreneurs.
Over the last two decades, the customs brokerage industry as a whole has mostly become much more ethical and customer-oriented, although some of its pricing practices still don’t make sense to us. While our feelings about the customs brokerage industry have mellowed and we are proud to be a part of it, the philosophy underpinning those original feelings hasn’t changed.
All these years later we still provide companies that want to take their own customs brokerage process in-house with easy-to-use Windows based software. However, we’re now also the go-to customs broker for companies that are too small or just don’t want to do their own brokerage. Our clients are located all over North America, and both we and they clear inbound shipments at Canadian ports all across the country from countries all over the world.
Our Promise To You
The way we conduct our business is based on values that are more important now than they have ever been - Integrity, Customer Service and Compliance
Integrity
Our dealings with you will always be transparent and honest – what you are quoted is what you will be charged. Our rates are based on the amount of work that we do, not on what we think you’ll pay or irrelevant numbers like the value of your shipments. If we make a mistake, we’ll fix it, no charge. You will never see miscellaneous charges like fax or phone calls, or “document processing” on our invoices.
Customer Service
We believe that our success is measured by the money we put back in your pocket, your satisfaction with the service we provide, the deliveries we expedite on your behalf, and the quality of your relationship with customs. We routinely exceed our customers’ expectations, and continuously invest in technology to improve our customer service. We are available day or night, both as a customs broker or your software service provider to help you with your problems, whether technical or customs-related.
Compliance
Under Canada Customs’ Administrative Monetary Penalty System (AMPS), poor compliance means the potential for significant financial penalty for your organization. It also negatively impacts your customs profile at CBSA, which factors into decisions to inspect your future shipments (with the concomitant delays). A well-established and maintained compliance profile, however, can help qualify your organization for advanced customs initiatives like CSA, and FAST. Every initiative NGB undertakes and every interaction we have with you, your carriers, your vendors and customs has the goal of ensuring that you are in complete compliance with customs regulations, while keeping your costs low and minimizing your exposure to costly customs penalties. We will ask for documents substantiating returned goods, preferential duty rates and compliance with Participating Government Departments and Agencies (PGAs), such as phytosanitary certificates or Kimberly Certificates.
The bottom line: You work hard to earn your corporate revenue. We can help you hold on to more of it, while strengthening your relationship with customs and improving your customs process.
We’re NoGlobalBorders, and we’re going. Your way.
For more information about how we deliver our suite of services to you, please reach out to us to determine how we can best be of service to you.
Join Our Team
While we are a small company, as we grow we expect our workforce will be reflective of the wide diversity of the city and country in which we live. As we learn to create a robust and welcoming corporate culture in our now-distributed organization (people at NGB are and will be working from home for the foreseeable future), we are committed to cultivating an inclusivity-based workplace, and trust you will contribute to creating and sustaining it.
In recruiting for our team, we welcome the unique contributions you can bring in terms of your experience, education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, color, religion, disability, sexual orientation and beliefs.
We are currently only hiring for the following position(s):
Sales Professional
As the face of our brand to potential clients, your responsibility is to generate new revenue for NGB by selling our suite of brokerage and/or software services to Canadian importers and US exporters to Canada.
Contact us
While we are headquartered in downtown Toronto, we (and you!) can clear your shipments at any port across Canada electronically.
Please contact us to find out more about our customs brokerage services, our self-clear software, our consulting services and arranging your freight.
Stay In the Know
From time to time we send out e-mails updating our clients and friends about upcoming Canada Customs procedures and regulations, and our thoughts on contemporary trade issues. Sign up to get on our mailing list!
