Definition

Noun: - The agency of the Treasury Department that enforces import tariffs: The Bureau of Customs is a government agency responsible for regulating and controlling the flow of goods into and out of a country, primarily by collecting duties (taxes) on imports and enforcing trade laws.

Usage

• The term "Bureau of Customs" is a proper noun, referring to a specific official agency. It is often capitalized.
• It is used to discuss government functions related to international trade, taxation, and border security for goods.

Examples

• Noun:
  • All imported goods must be declared to the Bureau of Customs.
  • The Bureau of Customs seized the counterfeit products at the port.

Advanced Usage

• The term is historically specific. In the United States, this agency was reorganized and renamed the U.S. Customs Service and later became part of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) under the Department of Homeland Security.
  • The former Bureau of Customs is now part of a larger homeland security apparatus.

Variants and Related Words

• Customs (noun): The official department that administers and collects duties levied by a country on imports and exports. Often used as a shorter, more general term.
  • We cleared our luggage through customs.
• Customs Service (noun): A common name for the agency, especially in its later U.S. incarnation.
• Customs agency (noun): A general term for any government body administering customs laws.

Synonyms

• Customs authority
• Customs administration
• Tariff agency

Related Phrases

• To clear customs: The process of getting official permission from customs authorities to bring goods into a country.
  • It took three hours for the shipment to clear customs.
• Customs duty: A tax levied on imports (and sometimes exports).
  • The customs duty on the vehicle was quite high.

Noun

1. the agency of the Treasury Department that enforces import tariffs