Customs Service, United States, was an agency of the U.S. Department of the Treasury until 2003. The agency was responsible for collecting the nation’s taxes on imported merchandise. These taxes are called tariffs, customs duties, or simply customs. The Customs Service processed goods, people, and vehicles entering or leaving the United States. It worked to prevent smuggling and to enforce other federal laws, including those governing environmental protection and motor vehicle safety. It also worked to protect U.S. business and labor by enforcing copyright, patent, and trademark regulations. The Customs Service administered the country’s ports of entry. Ports of entry are cities with customs facilities where goods may enter the country legally.
The First Congress established the Customs Service in 1789. In 2003, the functions of the Customs Service were transferred from the Treasury Department to two newly created agencies of the Department of Homeland Security: (1) U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and (2) U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). CBP became responsible for most of the activities of the former Customs Service, including the processing of people, goods, and vehicles entering the country and the collecting of customs duties. ICE took over many of the investigative activities of the Customs Service.
See also Customs.
