Title 19 — Customs DutiesRelease 119-73
§2072 Officers and employees
Title 19 › Chapter CHAPTER 10— - CUSTOMS SERVICE › § 2072
Summary
The Secretary of the Treasury can hire people for the Customs Service. He may appoint one assistant commissioner, three deputy commissioners, one chief clerk, and any attorneys or other workers needed. One deputy commissioner must run investigations. These hires follow civil service rules, and pay is set under the federal pay laws. The Treasury can name an officer to act as Commissioner when the Commissioner is absent, disabled, or the job is empty. The Commissioner must create an International Trade Committee, chair it, and include key deputies and assistant commissioners plus others as needed. The committee advises on commercial customs and trade facilitation, helps coordinate with the Secretary, and oversees systems that assess and collect duties, bonds, fees, penalties, duty drawback, and antidumping/countervailing duties. Within 30 days after each fiscal year, the committee must report its past activities and priorities to the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee. Definitions: "Commissioner" means the head of U.S. Customs and Border Protection in DHS. "Commercial Operations Advisory Committee" means the advisory group created by the 1987 law or its successor.
Full Legal Text
Title 19, §2072
Customs Duties — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to appoint, in the service established by section 2071 of this title, one assistant commissioner, three deputy commissioners, one chief clerk, and such attorneys and other officers and employees as he may deem necessary. One of the deputy commissioners of the United States Customs Service shall have charge of investigations. Appointments under this subsection shall be subject to the provisions of the civil service laws, and the salaries shall be fixed in accordance with chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5.
(b)The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to designate an officer of the United States Customs Service to act as Commissioner of Customs,11 See Change of Name note below. during the absence or disability of the Commissioner of Customs,1 or in the event that there is no Commissioner of Customs.1
(c)The personnel of the United States Customs Service shall perform such duties as the Secretary of the Treasury may prescribe.
(d)(1)The Commissioner shall establish an International Trade Committee, to be chaired by the Commissioner, and to include the Deputy Commissioner, the Assistant Commissioner in the Office of Field Operations, the Assistant Commissioner in the Office of Finance, the Assistant Commissioner in the Office of International Affairs, the Assistant Commissioner in the Office of International Trade, the Director of the Office of Trade Relations, and any other official determined by the Commissioner to be important to the work of the Committee.
(2)The International Trade Committee shall—
(A)be responsible for advising the Commissioner with respect to the commercial customs and trade facilitation functions of the United States Customs and Border Protection;
(B)assist the Commissioner in coordinating with the Secretary regarding commercial customs and trade facilitation functions; and
(C)oversee the operation of all programs and systems that are involved in the assessment and collection of duties, bonds, and other charges or penalties associated with the entry of cargo into the United States, or the export of cargo from the United States, including the administration of duty drawback and the collection of antidumping and countervailing duties.
(3)Not later than 30 days after the end of each fiscal year, the International Trade Committee shall submit a report to the Committee on Finance of the Senate and the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives. The report shall—
(A)detail the activities of the International Trade Committee during the preceding fiscal year; and
(B)identify the priorities of the International Trade Committee for the fiscal year in which the report is filed.
(e)In this section:
(1)The term “Commissioner” means the Commissioner responsible for the United States Customs and Border Protection in the Department of Homeland Security.
(2)The term “Commercial Operations Advisory Committee” means the Advisory Committee established pursuant to section 9503(c) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (19 U.S.C. 2071 note) 22 See References in Text note below. or any successor committee.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
section 9503(c) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987, referred to in subsec. (e)(2), is section 9503(c) of Pub. L. 100–203, which was set out as a note under section 2071 of this title, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 114–125, title I, § 109(g)(1), Feb. 24, 2016, 130 Stat. 137. For establishment of successor committee, see section 4316(a) of this title. Codification Section was formerly classified to section 281a of Title 5 prior to the general revision and enactment of Title 5 by Pub. L. 89–554, § 1, Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 378. “Chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5” were substituted for “the Classification Act of 1949, as amended” on authority of Pub. L. 89–554, § 7(b), Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 631, the first section of which enacted Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.
Amendments
2016—Subsecs. (d) to (f). Pub. L. 114–125, § 802(h)(3), redesignated subsecs. (e) and (f) as (d) and (e), respectively, and struck out former subsec. (d) which established the Office of International Trade. Notwithstanding directory language amending this section “as added” by section 402 of Pub. L. 109–347, amendment was executed to this section as amended by section 402 of Pub. L. 109–347, to reflect the probable intent of Congress. See 2006 Amendment note below. 2006—Subsecs. (d) to (f). Pub. L. 109–347 added subsecs. (d) to (f). 1954—Subsec. (c). Act Sept. 3, 1954, struck out references to the National Prohibition Act. 1949—Subsec. (a). Act Oct. 28, 1949, substituted “Classification Act of 1949” for “Classification Act of 1923”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Change of Name
Bureau of Prohibition and Commissioner of Prohibition redesignated Bureau of Industrial Alcohol and Commissioner of Industrial Alcohol, respectively, by act May 27, 1930. Reference to Commissioner of Customs deemed to be reference to Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection pursuant to section 802(d)(2) of Pub. L. 114–125, set out as a note under section 211 of Title 6, Domestic Security.
Repeals
Act Oct. 28, 1949, ch. 782, title XI, § 1106(a), cited as a credit to this section, was repealed (subject to a savings clause) by Pub. L. 89–554, Sept. 6, 1966, § 8, 80 Stat. 632, 655.
Transfer of Functions
For
Transfer of Functions
, personnel, assets, and liabilities of the United States Customs Service of the Department of the Treasury, including functions of the Secretary of the Treasury relating thereto, to the Secretary of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see section 203(1), 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of
November 25, 2002, as modified, set out as a note under section 542 of Title 6. For establishment of U.S. Customs and Border Protection in the Department of Homeland Security, treated as if included in Pub. L. 107–296 as of Nov. 25, 2002, see section 211 of Title 6, as amended generally by Pub. L. 114–125, and section 802(b) of Pub. L. 114–125, set out as a note under section 211 of Title 6. Deputy Commissioner of CustomsAct
June 17, 1930, authorized the appointment of an additional deputy commissioner in the Bureau of Customs in addition to the two deputy commissioners then authorized by law.
Executive Documents
Change of Name
“United States Customs Service” substituted for “Bureau of Customs” in subsecs. (a) to (c) pursuant to Treasury Department Order 165–23, Apr. 4, 1973, eff. Aug. 1, 1973, 38 F.R. 13037. See, also, section 308 of Title 31, Money and Finance.
Transfer of Functions
Functions of all officers of Department of the Treasury and functions of all agencies and employees of such Department transferred, with certain exceptions, to Secretary of the Treasury, with power vested in him to authorize their performance or performance of any of his functions by any of such officers, agencies, and employees, by Reorg. Plan No. 26 of 1950, §§ 1, 2, eff. July 31, 1950, 15 F.R. 4935, 64 Stat. 1280, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. Bureau of Industrial Alcohol and office of Commissioner of Industrial Alcohol abolished and Commissioner’s functions transferred to Commissioner of Internal Revenue by Ex. Ord. No. 6639.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
19 U.S.C. § 2072
Title 19 — Customs Duties
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73