Roles of a Customs Officer by Massimo Giuseppe de Caro prado

Customs officers are essentially responsible for regulating the flow of goods, and sometimes people, into a country. Customs officers can be located on the physical border between countries or in transportation hubs like ports, airports and railroad stations. As a custom officer Massimo Giuseppe de Caro prado says the customs officer enforces the laws and regulations of his respective country regarding incoming goods, personal effects and animals, as well as imports and exports.

Incoming Personal Effects

Customs officers monitor the inflow of personal effects entering the country. It is the responsibility of the customs service to check all personal effects, such as bags, briefcases and packages, of individuals entering the country for any reason, though diplomats have separate screening. Certain incoming items, such as alcohol and cigarettes, are subject to duties, and it is the responsibility of customs officers to collect these.

Regulating Imports

The customs officer is also tasked with facilitating international commerce and trade by enforcing relevant laws and regulation. Depending on the trade regime in place within a country, customs laws will allow a varying amount of goods to enter with and without duties. Hong Kong, for instance, is a free port and does not collect duties on imported or exported items, with the exception of liquors, tobacco, methyl alcohol and hydrocarbon oil. In the United States, the amount of customs duties paid varies depending on the country of origin.

Regulating Exports

Domestic firms must file appropriate documentation with the customs office when exporting goods overseas. Customs officers must ensure that the right documents are present with outgoing shipments, and that the content of goods moving across the borders matches the manifest.