Our Team of Experts
Matthew Brauner, President of Brauner International Corp., began his career in customs brokerage and freight forwarding in 1982 when he joined the family business started by his grandfather in 1931. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and received his MBA from Fairleigh Dickenson in 1988. He obtained his Custom Brokers license in 1991.
He has served on the Board of Governors of the New York/ New Jersey Foreign Freight Forwarders & Brokers Association since 1992 and was asked to serve as President of the association in April 2006 serving for 4 years in that position.
He has also served on the Annual Dinner Committee for over 30 years.
Mr. Brauner represented the New York- New Jersey association on the Board of Directors of the National Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association from 2010 up to 2018.
He currently serves on the Customs Committee of the National Association and on the FDA subcommittee chair of the Regulatory Agencies Committee. He has also been involved in the Green Coffee Association and the Cocoa Merchants Association of America.
William Brauner is a third-generation Licensed Customs Broker at Brauner International Corp, a family business his grandfather founded in 1931. He started out as a messenger at JFK Airport in the late 1980s and has spent the decades since learning nearly every side of the industry, from entry summary work at LEP Int’l in New York, to earning his broker’s license in Seattle (1990–1997) working for brokers ranging from mid-size to large multinational organizations, and then back to the family business, running the Miami branch for 23 years (1997–2020), to his current role as Vice President leading Import Operations from New Jersey (2020 to present).
As Vice President of Import Operations at Brauner International Corp, he brings extensive expertise with over 35 years in customs brokerage and import compliance. His role encompasses facilitating end-to-end import processes, including tariff classification, duty and admissibility analysis, Importer Security Filings (ISF), Customs entry processing, and FDA compliance. Collaborating closely with importers, he prioritizes accuracy, efficiency, and strict adherence to regulatory standards.
Outside of day-to-day operations, he is active in the industry associations that shape the regulations they all work within. He currently serves as a member of the FDA and FSIS Subcommittees for the NCBFAA Regulatory Affairs Committee, and he is the Vice President for the Import Committee with the NYNJFF&BA, participating each year in the Government Affairs Conference. He was previously involved with the Trade Support Network’s ACE Bi-Weekly Trade Support calls, having always had an interest in computers and software. During his years in Miami, he served on the board at the FCBF and participated in its Government Affairs Committee.
He is always glad to connect with fellow customs brokers, compliance professionals, and association colleagues, whether that is to talk trade policy, compare notes on regulatory changes, or find ways to collaborate on association initiatives.
Dedicated to fostering customer retention and providing exceptional service, he strives to simplify complex regulatory requirements and mitigate risks for importers. Through active participation in industry associations and committees, he remains committed to advancing global trade compliance and contributing to the evolving regulatory landscape.
Harold Brauner is the second-generation leader of Brauner International Corp, the family-owned customs brokerage and freight forwarding firm founded in 1931 by his father, Curt August Herman Brauner, a German immigrant from Hamburg who passed the U.S. customs broker exam and established the business as “Brauner & Company.”
Harold graduated from Fordham University in June 1951 and joined the family firm. Shortly after, he was called to duty in the Korean War, serving as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army, and returned in 1953 to resume his career at the company. Under his leadership the firm grew steadily: it opened its JFK Airport office in 1964 and became one of the first tenants of 1 World Trade Center in 1971, remaining there until relocating its headquarters to Jersey City after the 1993 bombing.
Following his father’s death in 1969, Harold took over stewardship of the company and led it for decades. He brought both of his sons into the business, Matthew in 1982 and William in 1985. In 2006 he became Chairman of the Board, with Matthew appointed President and William serving as Vice President.
Beyond the firm, Harold has been a longstanding leader in the industry’s professional associations. He served as President of the New York Foreign Freight Forwarders and Brokers Association, as a board member of the American Association of Exporters and Importers (AAEI), and as President of the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA), where he has continued to serve as a board member. NCBFAA records indicate he served as the association’s President from 1992 to 1994 and as Chairman of the Board from 1994 to 1998, after twelve years as Treasurer, and that he holds both a Custom Broker License and a Federal Maritime Forwarders License.