AAA Customs Brokers
AAA Customs Brokers is a privately held U.S. customs brokerage firm, founded in 1986 and based in Des Plaines, Illinois, providing import/export compliance, documentation, and customs clearance services to small and mid-sized businesses, primarily in the Chicago-area trade corridor.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersDes Plaines, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What AAA Customs Brokers does
AAA Customs Brokers is a privately held, for-profit customs brokerage firm headquartered in Des Plaines, Illinois (United States), founded in 1986. It operates in the import/export compliance and documentation services segment, functioning as an intermediary that assists businesses with U.S. customs clearance, regulatory filings, tariff classification, and trade documentation. The company serves importers and exporters — primarily small and mid-sized businesses operating in or shipping through the Chicago-area trade corridor — by managing customs entry preparation, regulatory adherence, and shipment coordination with government authorities such as CBP.
The business model is project- and transaction-based services revenue, typical of customs brokerage: fees are generally charged per customs entry, per shipment, or for specific compliance engagements, though the firm does not publicly disclose pricing. Go-to-market is relationship-driven and local, consistent with a 39-year-old micro-firm with 11-50 employees and no observed digital channels, marketing infrastructure, or app presence (no app store listings, no API, no disclosed technology stack). Customer acquisition appears to be conducted primarily through referral, trade community networks, and word-of-mouth rather than outward digital marketing.
The firm has no disclosed parent company, subsidiaries, or historical M&A activity; no funding rounds have been raised (consistent with a bootstrapped services firm); and no senior management, leadership changes, or strategic transaction data is available in the public record. The company website (aaacustoms.com) currently presents limited public-facing digital content beyond minimum privacy scaffolding, reinforcing its profile as a traditional, low-tech, relationship-led brokerage rather than a productized or platform-enabled trade-compliance business. No awards, certifications, partnerships, or regulatory actions are documented.
AAA Customs Brokers firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- AAA Customs Brokers
- Website
- https://aaacustoms.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- AAA Customs Brokers is a privately held U.S. customs brokerage firm, founded in 1986 and based in Des Plaines, Illinois, providing import/export compliance, documentation, and customs clearance services to small and mid-sized businesses, primarily in the Chicago-area trade corridor.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
AAA Customs Brokers industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Customs Brokerage Services
- NAICS
- Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers (42512)
- SIC
- Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Import Customs Clearance (Entry Filing & Release) (TLACAFAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Customs Consulting & Brokerage Outsourcing (Managed Brokerage, Brokerage Operations) (TLACAFAI), Customs Valuation & Transfer Pricing (Customs) Advisory (TLACAGAD), Customs Brokerage & Trade Compliance Management (TLAIANAD)
Keywords
Where AAA Customs Brokers is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Des Plaines
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
AAA Customs Brokers business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations
AAA Customs Brokers product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AAA Customs Brokers provides customs brokerage services, helping clients navigate import/export compliance requirements and prepare the documentation needed to clear goods across international borders. The firm works with businesses moving merchandise into and out of the United States.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Customs Brokerage Services Licensed customs brokerage support for U.S. businesses, including import/export compliance, documentation preparation, and customs clearance assistance for goods crossing international borders.
Companies that use AAA Customs Brokers
Customer profileIdeal customer profiles1 record
AAA Customs Brokers technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AAA Customs Brokers competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Livingston International: One of North America's largest customs brokers and trade compliance specialists, offering import/export brokerage, consulting, and managed services. Directly comparable in service mix to AAA Customs Brokers but at vastly greater scale and geographic reach.
- FedEx Trade Networks (now FedEx Logistics): The customs brokerage and global forwarding arm of FedEx, providing entry filing, trade compliance, and logistics services to importers and exporters. A scaled incumbent competing for the same import customers AAA serves.
- Expeditors International: A large global logistics provider offering customs brokerage as part of an integrated forwarding and supply-chain platform. Directly competes for mid-market importer brokerage spend.
- UPS Supply Chain Solutions / Customs Brokerage: UPS's customs brokerage and trade compliance unit offers entry filing, HTS classification, and managed trade services to U.S. importers. A national-scale competitor against regional independents like AAA.
- DHL Global Forwarding / Customs Services: DHL provides customs clearance, trade compliance advisory, and brokerage services globally as part of its forwarding portfolio. Competes with AAA for importers needing cross-border clearance expertise.
Emerging players
- BorderBuddy: Digital-first customs broker and trade compliance platform targeting SMB importers with online entry filing and advisory tools. Represents the technology-enabled model that traditional independents like AAA must compete against.
Direct peers
- Western Overseas Corporation: U.S.-based independent customs broker and freight forwarder providing import/export clearance and logistics services. Similar size and niche focus to AAA, serving as a direct competitive comparable.
- Cole International: Independent North American customs broker and trade compliance firm offering entry filing, consulting, and brokerage services. Closely comparable in scale and service profile to AAA Customs Brokers.
- AFS Customs Brokers: Independent customs broker providing import/export clearance, HTS classification, and trade compliance services to U.S. importers. Direct peer in service scope and customer segment.
- GLC Customs Brokerage: Mid-size independent U.S. customs brokerage offering import clearance, trade compliance, and consulting. Comparable business model and customer base to AAA Customs Brokers.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights4 records
Customer concentration
AAA Customs Brokers social profiles
Digital presenceAAA Customs Brokers financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AAA Customs Brokers leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
AAA Customs Brokers funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AAA Customs Brokers M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about AAA Customs Brokers
What does AAA Customs Brokers do?
AAA Customs Brokers provides customs brokerage services, helping clients navigate import/export compliance requirements and prepare the documentation needed to clear goods across international borders. The firm works with businesses moving merchandise into and out of the United States.
When was AAA Customs Brokers founded?
AAA Customs Brokers was founded in 1986. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is AAA Customs Brokers based?
AAA Customs Brokers is headquartered in Des Plaines, United States, in the North America region.
Who are AAA Customs Brokers's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Livingston International, FedEx Trade Networks (now FedEx Logistics), Expeditors International, UPS Supply Chain Solutions / Customs Brokerage and DHL Global Forwarding / Customs Services. BorderBuddy is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Western Overseas Corporation, Cole International, AFS Customs Brokers and GLC Customs Brokerage.
Does AAA Customs Brokers have an API?
No public API is recorded for AAA Customs Brokers.
What industry is AAA Customs Brokers in?
AAA Customs Brokers's product category is Customs Brokerage Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLACAFAA, Import Customs Clearance (Entry Filing & Release), with a secondary code of TLACAFAI, Customs Consulting & Brokerage Outsourcing (Managed Brokerage, Brokerage Operations). Its NAICS code is 488510 and its SIC code is 4731.