Case Study

EMD Customs Scales a Three-Person Team Without New Hires

customs specialist inspecting a shipping container

Before Altana

EMD Customs is a family-run California brokerage clearing global air, ocean, and ground imports for dozens of importers across diverse regulatory environments, with a team of three. Preparing entries in NetCHB took 30 to 40 minutes end to end. There was no efficient way to bulk-update HS codes or APHIS templates, and no way to update parts automatically, so a single tariff program change could invalidate entire sets of parts at once. Experiments with general-purpose AI for classification went nowhere: HTS databases resist natural-language search, and security concerns ruled out putting sensitive data into consumer tools.

With Altana

The Altana Customs Declaration Agent runs entry creation end to end, from document ingestion through parts enrichment to transmission into NetCHB, without replacing existing systems. A live-updating Product Catalog supports bulk edits, auditing, and Section 232 and PGA handling. SOP Studio encodes each importer's SOPs. Regulatory intelligence covers PGA requirements, tariff stacking, and Chapter 99 recommendations, and the tariff simulator validates landed cost and audits entries in real time.
Processing time per entry fell 75%, before counting parts and tariff work. HS code, APHIS template, and parts updates now apply across the catalog at once, and three people cover dozens of importers across air, ocean, and ground with zero added headcount as volume grew.
“We were spending too much time on repetitive work that didn't require real judgment.”
— David Guirgus, CFO and Executive Customs Specialist, EMD Customs