Customs Brokers

Customs activities in the United States have origins dating back to 1789, when the first Congress created the Customs Bureau. This administration was responsible for administering customs tariffs and collecting duties, and the Treasury secretary was tasked with administering the laws of customs. In 1973, the Customs Bureau was renamed the U.S. Customs Service, and in 2003, it was replaced with the U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection.

The origins of jobs within U.S. customs include immigration inspectors, dating to 1891 when the Office of the Superintendent of Immigration was established; agriculture inspectors, whose profession began in 1912, when the Plant Quarantine Act was passed; and border patrol agents, whose profession started in 1924, when Congress authorized the hiring of border patrol personnel.

Today, customs brokers, international trade specialists, public affairs officers, and many other types of specialists and employees of the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection work together to make trade, travel, and security effective and efficient in the United States. The CBP licenses, regulates, and empowers customs brokers who may be private individuals, partnerships, associations, or corporations.