Published: Aug 14, 2025 - The Import Clerk manages the end-to-end process of bringing goods into the country, ensuring compliance with customs regulations, trade agreements, and all legal documentation requirements. This role involves coordinating with overseas partners, arranging customs clearances, and overseeing the timely transit, delivery, and accurate checking of shipments against paperwork. The clerk also handles job costing to maximize profitability, maintains strong relationships with HM Customs, and ensures smooth and efficient movement of goods through bonded warehouses.

An Introduction to Professional Skills and Functions for Import Clerk with a Cover Letter
1. Standards for Import Clerk Cover Letter
- Manage new vendor set up and existing vendor maintenance.
- Collect and track required documents and information to submit claims for lost or damaged freight.
- Log received market rates.
- Track inbound freight and communicate with Procurement.
- Submit government reports.
- Organize a digital filing cabinet for Customs regulations.
- Compile factory audit data to support CTPAT.
- Ensure ship notifications are received error-free.
- Maintain data integrity between Fellowes and external business providers.
- Work on other projects and tasks as directed by the Logistics Supervisor.
Skills: Vendor Management, Freight Claims, Rate Tracking, Freight Coordination, Report Filing, Customs Compliance, Audit Support, Data Integrity
2. Success Indicators for Import Clerk Cover Letter
- Answer customer queries by email within a timely manner.
- Reply to customers' requests for shipment updates and provide accurate information.
- Self-managing the cargo movement process from start to finish.
- Update the bespoke system with data relating to tracking.
- Support 24/7/365 operations and service delivery.
- Take booking details, arranging collections/deliveries.
- Trace and track all shipments and keep customers up to date with a proactive mentality.
- Responsible for completing customs checks.
Skills: Email Support, Shipment Updates, Cargo Management, Data Entry, Operations Support, Booking Coordination, Shipment Tracking, Customs Checks
3. Key Strengths for Import Clerk Cover Letter
- Responsible for the movement of goods from another country.
- Ensure the transit and delivery are made on time.
- Liaise regularly with overseas offices, partners, or agents.
- Responsible for arranging and completing all associated paperwork.
- Extinguish documents of the goods being imported from abroad and ensure that they are legal and legitimate.
- Check everything is in order with regards.
- Import quotes, tariffs, trade agreements and HM Revenue and Customs regulations.
- Responsible for costing jobs and ensuring maximum profitability for the organization.
- Check goods in as they arrive against paperwork.
- Ensure all goods ordered are accounted for.
- Establish contacts and relationships with HM Customs.
- Ensure efficient transfer of goods through the legal process.
- Manage deadlines and sometimes difficult situations.
- Arrange Custom Clearances.
- Arrange ETSF Movements to Bonded Warehouse.
Skills: Import Coordination, Document Management, Compliance Verification, Tariff Management, Job Costing, Goods Inspection, Customs Clearance, Deadline Management
4. Value Proposition for Import Clerk Cover Letter
- Check manifests once received.
- Receive pre-alerts from overseas agents.
- Create files both manually and on the computer system.
- Receive and check relevant import documentation and pass it on to shipping lines.
- Process Import bookings.
- Proactively informing customers on shipment status, exceptions and providing intermediate updates on incident solution.
- Ensure the correct charges are highlighted/passed for billing.
- Provide quotations to customers.
- Coordinate and track shipments, updating customers.
- Complete Customs Declarations.
- Request, produce and manage all related documentation.
- Maintain systems, including costing and invoicing jobs.
- Work with relevant documentation such as the Certificate of Origin.
Skills: Manifest Checking, Import Documentation, Booking Processing, Customer Updates, Billing Coordination, Quotation Preparation, Shipment Tracking, Customs Declarations
5. Operational Strategy for Import Clerk Cover Letter
- Deal with air freight imports.
- Responsible for customs entries, customs compliance.
- Responsible for handling key accounts.
- Responsible for job costing, invoicing clients, and quotations.
- Update clients on their shipments.
- Deal with temperature-controlled and time-critical shipments.
- Liaise with airlines and overseas agents.
- Arrange bookings with carriers and haulers.
- Liaise with customers to facilitate the management of their supply chain.
- Handle and generate shipping documents.
Skills: Air Freight Handling, Customs Compliance, Key Account Management, Job Costing, Client Updates, Time-Critical Shipments, Carrier Booking, Shipping Documentation
What Are the Qualifications and Requirements for Import Clerk in a Cover Letter?
1. Problem-solving Abilities for Import Ocean Freight Clerk Cover Letter
- Experience in ocean freight FCL and LCL operations from start to finish, particularly from the Far East and the USA.
- Ability to process customs entries.
- Must have knowledge of BoxTop.
- Must be familiar with destin8 and CNS systems.
- Ability to be customer-focused.
- Able to get rates and quote customers both internally and externally.
- Must have good organisation.
- Able to work closely with other team members.
Qualifications: BA in International Business with 4 years of Experience
2. Technical Expertise for Import Ocean Freight Clerk Cover Letter
- Deep-sea import experience.
- Excellent ICT skills to include Microsoft packages.
- Good telephone manner and customer service skills.
- Able to pay attention to detail.
- Must have a friendly, calm, and professional manner.
- Ability to handle pressure and good time management.
- Ability to adapt to change and work effectively as part of a team.
- Able to enthusiasm and self-motivated.
Qualifications: BA in Business Administration with 3 years of Experience
3. Negotiation Skills for Import Clerk Cover Letter
- Experience with MS Office Suite, specifically Excel and Outlook.
- Previous experience in US Import Operations.
- Excellent attention to detail and history working in a high-volume data entry environment.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills for interacting at all levels within the organization.
- Detail-oriented with the ability to work independently in a proactive and anticipatory manner.
- Demonstrated ability to multitask, assign effective priorities to tasks and operate with a certain level of autonomy.
- Ability to exercise a high degree of professionalism.
- Previous general inventory planning experience would be beneficial for this.
Qualifications: BS in Trade and Transport Logistics with 4 years of Experience
4. Skills Overview for Import Clerk Cover Letter
- Excellent customer service skills to deal with Internal and External Stakeholders.
- Must be familiar with the legal requirements regarding importing and exporting shipments, as well as their attention to detail for internal/external procedures.
- Good knowledge of transport methods, costs, and benefits.
- Knowledge of geographical locations.
- Excellent verbal communication skills.
- Must have experience administrator.
- Must have customer service skills within a Distribution or transportation company.
- Experience in order entry or customer service.
- Must have cross-border knowledge.
Qualifications: BA in Transportation Management with 2 years of Experience
5. Professional Background for Import Clerk Cover Letter
- Previous Air Imports experience within the perishables Air Import environment.
- Experience of custom entries CCSUK/Cargowise.
- Excellent knowledge of all requirements for perishable imports, peach, defraq, and port health.
- Willingness to cover other shifts.
- Experience with ETSF processes.
- Excellent communication skills.
- Ability to organise with excellent attention to detail.
- Ability to work under pressure.
- Ability to team player.
Qualifications: BA in Global Commerce with 3 years of Experience