|  |  | U.S. Customs Service - Over 200 Years of History
After declaring its independence in 1776, the struggling young nation found itself on the brink of bankruptcy. Responding to the urgent need for revenue, the First Congress passed and President George Washington signed the Tariff Act of July 4, 1789, which authorized the collection of duties on imported goods. It was called "the second Declaration of Independence" by the news media of that era. Four weeks later, on July 31, the fifth act of Congress established Customs and its ports of entry.For nearly 125 years, Customs funded virtually the entire government, and paid for the nation's early growth and infrastructure. The territories of Louisiana and Oregon, Florida and Alaska were purchased; the National Road from Cumberland, Maryland, to Wheeling, West Virginia, was constructed; and, the Transcontinental Railroad stretched from sea-to-sea. Customs collections built the nation's lighthouses; the U.S. military and naval academies; the City of Washington; and, the list goes on. The new nation that once teetered on the edge of bankruptcy was now solvent. By 1835, Customs revenues alone had reduced the national debt to zero!Today, Customs is still a growing, major source of revenue for the Federal government, returning over $16.00 to the taxpayer for every dollar appropriated by Congress. Did you know the U.S. Customs Service was the parent or forerunner to many other agencies? In the early days, Customs officers administered military pensions (Department of Veterans Affairs); collected import and export statistics (Bureau of Census); and, supervised revenue cutters (U.S. Coast Guard). Customs also collected hospital dues to help sick and disabled seamen (Public Health Service); and, established standard weights and measures (National Bureau of Standards).The United States Customs Service ensures that all imports and exports comply with U.S. laws and regulations. The Service collects and protects the revenue, guards against smuggling, and is responsible for the following: - Assessing and collecting Customs duties, excise taxes, fees and penalties due on imported merchandise.
- Interdicting and seizing contraband, including narcotics and illegal drugs.
- Processing persons, baggage, cargo and mail, and administering certain navigation laws.
- Detecting and apprehending persons engaged in fraudulent practices designed to circumvent Customs and related laws.
- Protecting American business and labor and intellectual property rights by enforcing U.S. laws intended to prevent illegal trade practices, including provisions related to quotas and the marking of imported merchandise; the Anti-Dumping Act; and, by providing Customs Recordations for copyrights, patents and trademarks.
- Protecting the general welfare and security of the United States by enforcing import and export restrictions and prohibitions, including the export of critical technology used to develop weapons of mass destruction, and money laundering.
- Collecting accurate import and export data for compilation of international trade statistics.
Today, in addition to its own laws, Customs enforces well over 400 other provisions of law for at least 40 agencies. A number of these statutes are quality of life issues that relate to the environment, such as motor vehicle safety and emission controls, water pollution standards, pesticide controls, freon smuggling and the protection of endangered wildlife. Other laws safeguard American agriculture, business and public health, and consumer safety. U.S. Customs Commissioners| W. Ralph Basham | 2006-Present | George W. Bush | | Robert C. Bonner | 2001-2006 | George W. Bush | | Raymond W. Kelly | 1998-2001 | William J. Clinton | | George J. Weise | 1993-1997 | William J.Clinton | | Carol B. Hallett | 1989-1993 | George Bush | | William Von Raab | 1981-1989 | Ronald W. Reagan | | Robert E. Chasen | 1977-1980 | Jimmy Carter | | Vernon Darrell Acree | 1972-1977 | Gerald R. Ford, Richard W. Nixon | | Myles Joseph Ambrose | 1969-1972 | Richard W. Nixon | | Lester D. Johnson | 1965-1969 | Lyndon B. Johnson | | Philip Nichols, Jr. | 1961-1964 | Lyndon B. Johnson, John F. Kennedy | | Ralph Kelly | 1954-1961 | Dwight D. Eisenhower | | Frank Dow | 1949-1953 Acting, 1947-1949 | Harry S. Truman | | William Roy Johnson | 1940-1947 | Harry S. Truman, Franklin D. Roosevelt | | Basil Harris | 1939-1940 | Franklin D. Roosevelt | | James Henry Moyle | 1933-1939 | Franklin D. Roosevelt | | Francis Xavier A. Eble | 1929-1933 | Herbert Hoover | | Ernest W. Camp | 1927-1929 | Calvin Coolidge |
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