June 2, 2025
Small exporters can now use the same innovative technology for margin optimisation that bigger companies have been using for years.
The way goods get shipped overseas is undergoing a massive shift thanks to new tech. AI tools speed up work. They also make it more precise. You can ditch the busywork. These tools automate those jobs, giving you solid market information to boost your earnings.
Small exporters can now compete globally with financial research platforms that track duty drawbacks and detailed margin optimisation programs. Think about it: these programs analyse exactly what customers are purchasing. They also look at major economic signs, helping companies see future trends and beat their rivals.
In this piece, we'll get into the top 2 duty drawback automation companies that can boost your export margins by a lot. Pax AI tops our list as the best available tool, though each platform has unique benefits based on what you need.
Pax AI stands out as the best choice for companies looking to get back import duties through working with a duty drawback company. Most service providers turn away smaller businesses, but Pax AI's innovative technology makes duty drawbacks available to companies of all sizes.
A team of former duty drawback experts and researchers from MIT, Google, Amazon, and Flexport founded Pax AI. They truly knew their business. And they used cutting-edge tools.
Their platform turns the complex duty drawback process into an efficient operation:
Pax AI manages the whole process end-to-end with minimal client effort. They prepare and file claims within a week after receiving your data. This quick turnaround cuts processing time by 99% compared to manual methods.
Many businesses miss out on duty drawback funds. Each year, businesses leave USD 10 billion unclaimed (80% of eligible refunds) because the process seems too complex. Pax AI's platform changes this situation.
Their technology makes duty drawback available to everyone. Traditional providers reject claims under USD100,000, but Pax AI works with businesses of all sizes. Small and mid-sized exporters can now recover funds they previously couldn't access.
Their specialised computer programs solve some very difficult math puzzles. Duty drawback needs matching import records to export records while following regulations and finding the best combinations for maximum refunds. Pax AI's system does this automatically and gets about 15% more in refunds than leading software.
No further words needed. Manufacturers who import parts and components, pay tariffs, then export finished goods, can get back up to 99% of duties paid. This improves profit margins without any operational changes.
You only pay when you get your refund with Pax AI's performance-based pricing. This setup means both parties succeed together: bigger recoveries benefit everyone.
Their tiered percentage pricing works like this:
These businesses get the most value from Pax AI:
Clients typically recover between USD100,000 to USD1M+ yearly. These recovered duties often cover all brokerage service fees, making those services essentially free.
Pax AI combines TurboTax-like efficiency with powerful optimisation algorithms. Businesses recover duty payments quickly and grow export earnings. They set the standard.
Supply chain forecasting is a crucial foundation for export businesses to maximise their margins. Cradle gives companies a whole new way to work. They can now better predict and handle their supply chains, right from the start to the finish line.
Cradle's platform uses what industry experts call the "cradle to grave" approach to supply chain management, tracking products from raw material acquisition through final delivery or recycling.
This all-encompassing approach creates several powerful capabilities:
Cradle's most impressive feature lets you visualise demand trends and confidence intervals. No more guessing games. You'll know what's likely to happen and exactly how confident you can be in that information, giving exporters a major leg up when managing their goods worldwide.
Export businesses often run with high operational costs because they lack integrated supply chain visibility. You'll see Cradle confront this issue directly, and the financial outcomes are seriously strong.
The platform treats your product as "a single inventory system from beginning to end" and eliminates costly disconnects between departments. Take packaging teams, for example - they might reduce material costs without knowing they're causing higher damage rates during shipping. You'll quickly understand how these different things tie together, thanks to Cradle.
With this platform, predicting stock needs becomes simple. You run your inventory smarter. You'll carry less excess inventory and reduce capital costs while keeping enough stock to fulfill orders and keep customers happy.
Cradle's Machine Learning helps identify the best forecasting method among five time series approaches for each product category. Forget those generic fixes. This exactness means each product family gets its own specific answer.
The financial effect? Independent consultants estimate this approach saves between 10-20% in operational costs. For exporters with tight margins, these savings often determine whether a market stays profitable or needs to be abandoned.
Cradle's pricing options match the scale and needs of your export operation:
Cradle doesn't require a huge upfront investment like some competitors. Their system is built in sections, so you can turn on specific tools with a quick change to the settings. Many clients start with simple forecasting and grow as they see ROI.
Microsoft ecosystem users find great value in Cradle's Azure Machine Learning integration. They can even use the free tier for smaller operations or proof-of-concept implementations.
Manufacturing exporters with complex supply chains in multiple countries benefit most from Cradle.
Five distinct instances demonstrate its clear utility.
Minerali, a company importing large volumes of silica sand, provides a perfect real-life example. After using a cradle-to-grave approach, they saved money "at each touch point of the supply chain". Their CEO said becoming "an integrated part of our supply chain" removed complexity and created a "seamless operation".
Cradle changes boring supply chains into a big competitive edge. A user summed it up well: "When different pieces of the organisation come together, it's possible to identify areas where improvements can be made, costs can be lowered, and the end product can be made superior".
SmartBorder continues to serve as a powerful option for customs compliance, despite stopping new brokerage client intake in February 2025. Its advanced features and reliable integration capabilities make it ideal for high-volume customs brokers.
The platform boasts one of the industry’s fastest entry writing systems. It offers full or partial EDI integration, real-time validation checks, and FDA Prior Notice filing – all while automating and reducing human error.
Key Features
SmartBorder is especially efficient for brokers handling up to 25,000 monthly entries. Templates and stored product lists simplify tariff and PGA data management.
Pricing
A one-time setup fee and usage-based pricing keep costs predictable. There are no additional licensing fees for remote access, making it scalable and flexible for growing brokerages.
Best Use Case
Imagine export operations completely changed. That's what two automated duty drawback platforms are doing with clever technology. Pax AI emerges as today's best tool. Its AI-powered data extraction and proprietary matching algorithms make duty drawback available to companies of all sizes. Gone are the days of missing out on refunds.
Small and mid-sized exporters battle the same challenges as big players with limited resources. AI helps create fairness. Everyone gets a chance. Picture them handling the dull, repeated tasks. They also scan your data, pulling back funds you thought were long gone. Your business hits its stride when you pick the right equipment for the job.
Numbers tell the real story. Pax AI brings in 15% more refunds than traditional methods. Cradle's users save 10-20% on operational costs.
Export business demands resilience. When rules pile up, the economy swings, and other businesses fight for every customer, you absolutely must have an edge to succeed. Duty drawback automation provides that edge. Your competitors might miss these opportunities. The question is - will you?
Picture this: USD 10 billion in eligible refunds remains unclaimed yearly. Imagine this: the cash could help your business explode. You could find new customers or simply make more money, all without changing a thing about how you operate.
The path forward looks obvious. Begin with Pax AI for duty drawback automation. Then pick complementary tools that line up with your export challenges. Those refund checks will make you grateful.
A duty drawback is a refund of up to 99% of the customs duties you paid on imported goods that you later export. Claiming these refunds can directly increase your profit margins without changing your core operations.
Pax AI uses artificial intelligence to automate the entire process. It extracts data from your documents, uses special algorithms to match import and export records for the maximum refund, and files the claims for you. This turns a months-long manual task into a process that takes about a week.
Manufacturers who import components to create finished goods for export see huge benefits. It's also valuable for retailers who re-export inventory to other countries and businesses with a high number of small transactions, such as those in electronics or cosmetics.
Absolutely. While traditional providers often turned away smaller claims, modern platforms are designed to help businesses of all sizes. They use technology to make the process efficient and cost-effective, even for companies with refund claims under £100,000.
Effective supply chain forecasting, like that offered by Cradle, gives you a complete view of your operations. It helps you predict demand, manage inventory better, and reduce waste. This leads to lower operational costs, which directly improves your export profit margins.
