The FedEx power of attorney form is the signed authorization that lets FedEx act as your customs broker when goods you own enter the United States. Federal regulations require every customs broker to hold a valid power of attorney (POA) before transacting any customs business on a client’s behalf, and FedEx is no exception.1eCFR. 19 CFR 141.46 – Power of Attorney Retained by Customhouse Broker Without it on file, FedEx cannot sign entry documents, pay duties, or clear your shipment through U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).2FedEx. Why Do I Need a Power of Attorney When Shipping The form itself is short. The details are where shipments get held up.
When You Actually Need One
A POA is required whenever FedEx files a formal entry on your behalf. Formal entries apply to shipments valued over $2,500, and to shipments of any value that involve goods regulated by an agency such as the FDA, USDA, or EPA.3eCFR. 19 CFR 143.21 – Merchandise Eligible for Informal Entry Shipments that qualify for informal entry, generally under $2,500 and not subject to special restrictions, typically don’t require a separate POA.
The broker keeps the executed document with its records rather than filing it with CBP, but CBP can request to see it at any time.1eCFR. 19 CFR 141.46 – Power of Attorney Retained by Customhouse Broker The simplest approach is to sign a standing POA that covers all future imports, so you’re not repeating the step for every shipment.
Information to Have on Hand
Before you open the form, gather the following:
- The full legal name of the importing entity, exactly as it appears on your registration documents. A trade name or DBA on its own will not work.
- Your entity type: corporation, partnership, limited liability company, or sole proprietor. The signing rules depend on this.
- Your Employer Identification Number (EIN), or Social Security number if you are importing as an individual. CBP requires this number on the entry summary for formal entries.4U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Importers – Why Is an Overseas Supplier Asking for My Social Security Number/Tax ID Number/IRS Number/Importer Number
- Your principal place of business: full street address, city, state, ZIP.
- The state where your entity is incorporated or registered.
- Every FedEx account number you want covered by the authorization.
The current form is available through FedEx’s international shipping and customs tools. If you can’t locate it online, FedEx’s brokerage department will send you the current version on request.
Filling Out Each Section
Enter the entity’s full legal name and principal business address in the fields at the top. Check the box that matches your entity type, since that selection determines which signing requirements apply.
Enter your EIN or SSN in the tax identification field and check it against your IRS records. A transposed digit is one of the most common reasons forms get bounced back, because CBP’s systems cross-reference the number during entry processing.
Fill in the state of registration. List every FedEx account number that should fall under the authorization; if you run out of space, attach a separate sheet.
Before you sign, read the scope of authority the form grants. Most FedEx customs POAs are broad enough to cover the full range of customs transactions: filing entries, signing documents, paying duties and taxes, and communicating with CBP on your behalf.2FedEx. Why Do I Need a Power of Attorney When Shipping Confirm you are comfortable with that scope before signing.
Who Can Sign
The signer must have legal authority to bind the entity. For a corporation, that means an officer: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, or an equivalent role such as CEO, COO, or CFO. FedEx’s instructions specify that only a corporate officer may execute the POA. A mid-level manager or shipping clerk cannot sign for a corporation unless they hold a title with actual binding authority.
For a partnership, one partner can sign in the partnership’s name. For a sole proprietorship, the owner signs personally. In every case, the signer must print their name and official title beside the signature, and date the document. An undated POA, or one missing a title, will be rejected.
Submitting the Completed Form
Once the form is signed and dated, send it to FedEx’s brokerage department. The common routes are:
- Email. Scan the signed form and send it to the brokerage office handling your shipment. For export-related POAs, FedEx uses eeipoa@fedex.com; for import customs brokerage, the correct address depends on which FedEx brokerage office manages your account.
- The FedEx electronic portal. Some shippers upload a scanned copy through their FedEx account profile, under the customs or brokerage section.
FedEx brokerage staff review the form when it arrives to confirm the information is complete and matches their records. If the signature is missing, the signer is unauthorized, or the tax ID doesn’t match, FedEx will come back to you for a corrected version, and your shipment cannot clear customs until the corrected POA is on file. For time-sensitive imports, submit the POA well before the first shipment, ideally during initial account setup.
How Long It Lasts and How to Revoke It
A customs POA granted by a corporation, LLC, or individual has no built-in expiration date and can remain in effect indefinitely unless you specify a term. Partnerships are the exception: a POA granted by a partnership is limited to two years from the date it was signed.5eCFR. 19 CFR 141.34 – Duration of Power of Attorney A partnership that imports regularly through FedEx will need to re-execute the form before it lapses.
You can revoke a customs POA at any time by sending written notice to CBP at the port of entry, or electronically.6eCFR. 19 CFR 141.35 – Revocation of Power of Attorney Notify FedEx directly as well, so they stop acting on your behalf. If you are switching customs brokers, revoke the old POA and execute a new one with the incoming broker so authority over your shipments is not disputed.
Extra Steps for Foreign Importers
A nonresident individual, partnership, or corporation that grants a customs POA must appoint a resident agent in the United States authorized to accept service of process on the importer’s behalf.7Legal Information Institute. 19 CFR Part 141 Subpart C – Powers of Attorney The customs broker named in the POA can serve as that resident agent, which is how many foreign shippers meet the requirement when using FedEx’s brokerage services.
Nonresident corporations have added obligations. Where a surety bond is involved, an authorized officer of the foreign corporation must sign the POA, and the corporation must file a certificate from the secretary of state (or equivalent official) of the state where the resident agent is located, confirming the agent’s authority to accept service of process.7Legal Information Institute. 19 CFR Part 141 Subpart C – Powers of Attorney That paperwork takes time; foreign importers should start well ahead of the first shipment.
Keeping a Copy for Your Records
FedEx is required to retain the executed POA under broker recordkeeping rules.8eCFR. 19 CFR 111.23 – Retention of Records You should keep your own signed copy as well. Importers must maintain records related to their customs transactions for five years from the date of entry.9eCFR. 19 CFR Part 163 – Recordkeeping Storing the POA alongside your import records is the simplest way to stay covered if CBP audits your entries.