U.S. Customs Safeguards Our Foreign Trade, The (1950)

[Music] the United States is bordered by two friendly Nations Canada and Mexico just think there are no fortifications on our land borders as there are along the boundaries of most of the countries in the world however there there are many custom stations like this one near Vancouver British Columbia and border patrols to enforce the Immigration and Customs laws there is a friendly feeling at this border we owe our very existence to the Brotherhood of these two countries Custom Service enforces the laws that regulate the flow of goods in and out of our country on the Canadian side of the line the Canadian customs and immigration officers inspect cars that enter and leave Canada all all countries have Customs inspectors to enforce their trade laws Canada sends many things to the United States like Furs and English China in Vancouver Freight is loaded on trucks on ships on trains and on airplanes it may enter this country at an Airfield a border or a harbor no matter how it arrives the Customs inspection procedure is the same whether you enter New York Harbor with its famous customs house near Wall Street or whether you enter at a Western Port like San Francisco the Bureau of Customs is a federal agency under the United States Treasury Department it collects a Duty or tax on merchandise brought into the country no duty is paid on exports let's turn to one of our ports of entry on the friendly Mexican border this port near San Diego is a busy place besides the Reg Travelers and Freight there are lines of pleasure cars that spend only a day in Mexico whether people are going to Mexico for pleasure or for business when they cross the line they are foreigners and all their actions are governed by a different set of laws people who leave this country must be sure that they can prove they are Americans when they return across the line both the American and the Mexican officials check all people and Freight entering Mexico The Travelers shop in Mexico and buy many things made by the people like silver jewelry baskets and Mexican blankets tourists enjoy the picturesque life in [Music] Mexico at the American Customs border the cars wait in line to return to this country after they have been passed by the Mexican inspectors they are examined by a United States immigration officer each person must tell his name and where he was born if the person does not speak English well or was not born in the United States he may have to show his citizenship papers the car passes on to the Customs inspector he looks through the car for anything bought in Mexico if a person has stayed long in Mexico or has bought more than he is allowed for the length of time he has been away the Customs officer will ask him to take his luggage and purchases into the customs house for examination Mrs Dart and her family have spent a week at enada a Mexican fishing Village they have been in Mexico for more than 48 hours and so each member of the family is allowed to bring in $100 worth of goods without paying any Duty she seems nervous and the officer will check her things with unusual care a string of cultured pearls an amber necklace a string of crystals all made in the orient but costing Less in Mexico than in the United States and now silver earrings inlaid with turquoise the Customs officer is trained to judge accurate ly the price of the different Commodities the inspectors are courteous at all times but are Keen judges of human nature Mrs Dart has a list of her purchases and he checks the value she has placed on each article when officers doubt a person's declaration they may take him to a private room for a complete examination or at times they ask him to step in front of an electric ronic machine called an ins spectroscope it is like an x-ray machine and will see through everything except hard materials like metal or precious stones which will show on a screen Mrs dark steps in front of that machine it has no ill effect on the person one inspector sits in the dark at the left and watches the screen Mrs Dart is asked to put her feet in front of the machine and turn each side toward the screen the inspector inside operates the machine people try to smuggle Jewels narcotics and Small Things by hiding them in the most unexpected places like shoe SES hatbands or even in their hair or ears or mouth sometimes all people arriving at a port are asked to step in front of the inspect scope especially if the officers have been warned of Smugglers even the children are sometimes used to smuggle in things here a plane is arriving from Mexico there are about 50 airports that are approved ports of Entry where planes from foreign countries are allowed to land the first person to board the plane is a medical officer from the United States Public Health Service next to board Are the officers from the Departments of customs and agriculture after they have cleared the ship the people may disembark and proceed into the air terminal in the last year over a million aircraft passengers arrived in this country from foreign ports a customs officer checks all cargo and Luggage as it is unloaded special laws govern the import Duty on all kinds of merchandise cargo is often sent on to its destination and the customs duty paid there the custom service has Branch offices in all large cities generally the custom service is located in the post office after the passengers have had their medical examination they go to the Customs room where the procedure is similar to that at the border Mrs Trent's customs declaration shows that she has bought linen and silver jewelry she does not have to pay any duty every year about 50,000 oceangoing ships arrive in our Harbors from foreign ports and are examined by our customs officers ships must enter at an approved Port of Entry a maton line vessel has just arrived from the Orient nearby an American ship is arriving from a trip around the world passengers are thrilled to be back safe in their own country and there's an air of excitement when a large ocean liner docks World Travelers collect many pieces of luggage they often return with 20 separate bags in the Customs room it is placed in front of the letter of their last name the Customs inspectors are kind but firm Mr Grant and his family have bought many things abroad he smiles as he thinks of the funny things like a musical automobile horn from France this antique Japanese sword is over 300 years old and was used in special ceremonies the Customs officer is a student of Oriental Antiques and is thrilled with a fine engraved sword antiques over 100 years old are allowed to enter the country duty-free Mr Grant has bought many things but his family are allowed to bring in $400 worth dutyfree and as they have not bought this much they will not pay any Duty the officer signs Mr Grant's declaration at San Pedro a Port of Los Angeles the United States Custom Service occupies a floor of the post office building the Customs officers must inspect all foreign ships and all American ships arriving from foreign ports at this port a coast guard launch takes the customs and agricultural inspectors out to board the boat the officers from the different federal agencies work together inspector ma the Customs inspector talks with the inspector from the Department of Agriculture the United States Customs Service is one of the oldest Departments of our government when the very first Congress of the United States convened the second law it passed was the creation of the United States custom service we all remember how angry our forefathers were because of the high Duty on tea that was charged to colonies the first ship today is a Swedish freighter with a cargo of products from the Scandinavian countries these boats are among the most modern Freighters afloat and also have accommodations for a dozen passengers when the ship lowers the yellow quarantine flag it means that she has passed her medical quarantine inspection and that other officials May board officials from the customs and immigration departments they report to the captain generally a ship follows the same course and the government officials learn to know the ship's officers Captain baronius is a brilliant officer and has all the tact and charm that is a characteristic of captains of ships all over the world the Customs officers too represent their country and are trained to handle their work not only with speed and efficiency but also with diplomacy at all times this port is proud of its reputation as a hospitable Port this ship carries a load of wood Pulp and Paper inspector Mays will want to know the exact cargo on the ship where it was taken on and where it is to be unloaded the ship's papers give this information inspector Mays will check the list of passengers and crew any person leaving the ship will have his luggage checked at the dock the cargo will be examined on the dock when it has been unloaded the custom service collect most of its revenue from the wholesale merchandise entering the country the greater part of the Customs work is the supervision of the unloading and the clearing of the cargo so that it can be delivered this is called discharging the cargo there are many different laws some cargo is judged by its foreign value and some by weight generally 1/10th of the shipment is valued by experts and this decides the import duty to be paid on the entire shipment when the officials have finished their inspection the ship is cleared and may proceed to the dock the inspectors continue on to the next ship that is waiting for their inspection this Dutch freighter is arriving from the Orient the boarding officers will examine her in the harbor as they did the last boat the captain radioed in that he had been warned of Smugglers aboard in cases where additional safeguards are needed Coast Guard boats stand by to prevent any contact with the ship or to prevent The Smuggler from escaping let's see what happens when this ship docks the first person to board the ship is inspector Russell who will oversee the discharge of the freight he will be in charge of all Customs activities while the ship is at the dock he contacts the captain and again checks the ship's papers that have been checked previously by the boarding officer inspector maiz this is a routine procedure for All Ships that need Customs inspection inspector Russell receives a copy of the ship's papers for dock purposes Customs officers will inspect the cargo that is unloaded and see that the correct import duty is paid to our government this ship might have Smugglers aboard and the searching Squad under inspector Brown will search the large ship from bow to stern and from top to bottom the captain is glad to have the inspection he's proud of his ship and if there is a Smuggler aboard he wants him found they start at the top and examine even the instruments on the bridge the conviction of smuggling narcotics carries a jail sentence for the guilty person and and a fine for the ship on which the narcotics were found notice how carefully they search the lifeboats all Smugglers tend to follow certain set patterns in their illegal work and these officers are familiar with the places they try to hide their Contraband goods different men are assigned to the various parts of the ship one inspector even climbs the Mast and examines the Cross Beam they examine every nook and crack of the ship Contraband Goods is Goods that is brought in illegally things that are not allowed to be imported into the United States Smugglers also bring in articles that are allowed to be brought in but they try to bring them in without paying the duty on them nothing up here two men search the various control boxes on the deck nothing here another pair searched the front deck called the four peak in the meantime down in the hold the men hunt around the bags of copra meal from the Orient the ship also carries Rubber and tea Smugglers are not apt to hide things in the cargo because it would be discovered when the cargo is unloaded every bit of the ship is searched pantries Cruise quarters and even the engine room in the cruise dining room inspectors examine the members of the crew Pockets coat Linings belts it's all in a day's work for the Customs inspectors who take great pride in their work there is good-natured rivalry between the different ports and they like to be the port that finds the Contraband members of the ship's crew look embarrassed are any of these men guilty excitement up front an inspector rushes down from the for Peak yes he found narcotics hidden in the cork insert of a life belt inspector Brown is proud of his men imagine hiding the narcotics here they also found the guilty man a sailor who had joined the ship in Singapore he was working alone on the ship but had Partners ashore waiting for the smuggled Goods inspectors will turn him over to local police authorities who will put him in jail to await trial he has served time before and glowers at The Familiar cell line who tipped off the authorities the guilty man is a big fellow but he broke down in the questioning and exposed a whole ring of Smugglers good work inspector Mae inspector Russell inspector Brown and all of you men who protect our borders our country's trade is safe as long as you stand guard night and day at all of our ports of Entry