These terms and conditions of service constitute a legally binding contract between the “Company” and the “Customer” governing the provision of customs brokerage and related services by the Company to the Customer.  In the event the Company renders any other services and issues a document containing Terms and Conditions governing such services, the Terms and Conditions set forth in such other document(s) shall govern those services.

1. Definitions.

(a)     “Company” shall mean Great Lakes Customs Brokerage, Inc., its subsidiaries related companies, agents and/or representatives;

(b)     “Customer” shall mean the person for which the Company is rendering service, as well as its agents and/or representatives, including, but not limited to, shippers, importers, exporters, carriers, secured parties, warehousemen, buyers and/or sellers, shipper’s agents, insurers and underwriters, break-bulk agents, consignees, etc. It is the responsibility of the Customer to provide notice and copy(s) of these terms and conditions of service to all such agents or representatives;

(c)     “Documentation” shall mean all information received directly or indirectly from Customer, whether in paper or electronic form;

(d)     “Ocean Transportation Intermediaries” (“OTI”) shall include an “ocean freight forwarder” and a “non-vessel operating carrier”;

(e)     “Third parties” shall include, but not be limited to, the following: “carriers, truckmen, cartmen, lightermen, forwarders, OTIs, customs brokers, agents, warehousemen and others which the goods are entrusted for transportation, cartage, handling and/or delivery and/or storage or otherwise”.

2.       Company as agent. The Company acts as the “agent” of the Customer for the purpose of performing duties in connection with the entry and release of goods, post entry services, the securing of export licenses, the filing of export documentation on behalf of the Customer and other dealings with Government Agencies: as to all other services, Company acts as an independent contractor.

3.     Limitation of Actions.

(a)     Unless subject to a specific statute or international convention, all claims against the Company for a potential or actual loss, must be made in writing and received by the Company within ninety (90) days of the event giving rise to claim; the failure to give the Company timely notice shall be a complete defense to any suit or action commenced by Customer.

(b)     All suits against Company must be filed and properly served on Company as follows:

(i)       For claims arising out of ocean transportation, within one (1) year from the date of the loss:

(ii)     For claims arising out of air transportation, within two (2) years from the date of the loss;

(iii)    For claims arising out of the preparation and/or submission of an import entry(s), within seventy five (75) days from the date of liquidation of the entry(s);

(iv)    For any and all other claims of any other type within two (2) years from the date of the loss or damage.

4.       No Liability For The Selection or Services of Third Parties and/or Routes. Unless services are performed by persons or firms engaged pursuant to express written instructions from the Customer, Company shall use reasonable care in its selection of third parties, or in selecting the means, route and procedure to be followed in the handling, transportation, clearance and delivery of the shipment; advice by the Company that a particular person or firm has been selected to render services with respect to the goods, shall not be construed to mean that the Company warrants or represents that such person or firm will render such services nor does Company assume responsibility or liability for any action(s) and/or inaction(s) of such third parties and/or its agents, and shall not be liable for any delay or loss of any kind, which occurs while a shipment is in the custody or control of a third party or the agent of a third party; all claims in connection with the act of a third party shall be brought solely against such party and/or its agents; in connection with any such claim, the Company shall reasonably cooperate with the Customer, which shall be liable for any charges or costs incurred by the Company. 

5. Quotations Not Binding. Quotations as to fees, rates of duty, freight charges, insurance premiums or other charges given by the Company to the Customer are for informational purposes only and are subject to change without notice: no quotation shall be binding upon the Company unless the Company in writing agrees to undertake the handling or transportation of the shipment at a specific rate or amount set forth in the quotation and payment arrangements are agreed to between the Company and the Customer.

6. Reliance On Information Furnished.

(a)     Customer acknowledges that it is required to review all documents and declarations prepared and/or filed with the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, other Government Agency and/or third parties, and will immediately advise the Company of any errors, discrepancies, incorrect statements, or omissions on any declaration filed on Customer’s behalf;

(b)     In preparing and submitting customs entries, export declarations, applications, documentation and/or export data to the United States and/or third party, the Company relies on the correctness of all documentation, whether in written or electronic format, and all information furnished by Customer; Customer shall use reasonable care to insure the correctness of all such information and shall indemnify and hold the Company harmless from any and all claims asserted and/or liability or losses suffered by reason of the Customer’s failure to disclose information  or any incorrect or false statement by the Customer upon which the Company reasonably relied. The Customer agrees that the Customer has an affirmative non-delegable duty to disclose any and all information required to import, export or enter the goods.

7. Declaring Higher Value To Third Parties. Third parties to whom the goods are entrusted may limit liability for loss or damage; the Company will request excess valuation coverage only upon specific written instructions from the Customer, which must agree to pay any charges therefore: in the absence of written instructions or the refusal of the third party to agree to a higher declared value, at Company’s discretion, the goods may be tendered to the third party, subject to the terms of the third party’s limitations of liability and/or terms and conditions of service.

8. Insurance. Unless requested to do so in writing and confirmed to Customer in writing, Company is under no obligation to procure insurance on Customer’s behalf: in all cases, Customer shall pay all premiums and costs in connection with procuring requested insurance.

9. Disclaimers: Limitations of Liability.

(a)     Except as specifically set forth herein, Company makes no express or implied warranties in connection with its services;

(b)     Subject to (d) below, Customer agrees that in connection with any and all services performed by the Company, the Company shall only be liable for its negligent acts, which are the direct and proximate cause of any injury to Customer, including loss or damage to Customer’s goods, and the Company shall in no event be liable for the acts of Third parties;

(c)     In connection with all services performed by the Company, Customer may obtain additional liability coverage, up to the actual or declared value of the shipment or transaction, by requesting such coverage and agreeing to make payment therefore, which request must be confirmed in writing by the Company prior to rendering services for the covered transaction(s);

(d)     In the absence of additional coverage under (c) above, the Company’s liability shall be limited to the following:

(i)       where the claim arises from activities other than those relating to customs brokerage, $50.00 per shipment or transaction; or,

(ii)     where the claim arises from activities relating to “Customs brokerage,” $50.00 per entry or the amount of brokerage fees paid to Company for the entry, whichever is less; or,

(iii)    for freight carried on Company trucks the maximum liability for loss or damage to cargo is $15.00 per pound per piece, subject to a maximum liability of $100,000 per shipment unless the shipper/consignor requests Excess Declared Value Coverage, which has been arranged through and with the consent of Company. The agreed value on household goods, used machinery, or personal effects will not exceed $.10 per lb. per article where the claim arises from activities other than those in (i) or (ii) above, $50.00 per shipment or transaction;

(e)     In no event shall Company be liable or responsible for consequential, indirect, incidental, statutory or punitive damages even if it has been put on notice of the possibility of such damages.

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