# How does Customs work? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 19, 2009, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-customs-work/510712 "2009-09-19T15:35:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2009, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-customs-work/510712/1 "2009-09-19T15:35:01Z")
Is it like _Beverly Hills Cop_ where everything coming into the country is held until investigated? And what are customs officials looking for? Do they inspect the contents at all either randomly, every 100th box or boxes from places like Islamabad and Pyongyang? Also, do different countries have different customs procedures? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2009, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-customs-work/510712/2 "2009-09-19T15:48:59Z")
Most stuff coming into the U.S. isn’t checked at all unless there is a specific reason for it. There simply isn’t the time or manpower to handle it. Foreign goods usually come over on container ships like this: > **[Stock Photography - Search 74.9 million Stock Photos, Stock Footage Video...](http://www.fotosearch.com/)** > > Fotosearch Stock Photography and Stock Footage helps you find the perfect photo or footage, fast! We feature 75,000,000 royalty free photos, stock footage clips, digital videos, vector clip art images, clipart pictures, background graphics, medical... The containers get loaded onto the ship by crane at the point of origin and loaded straight onto a tractor trailer truck bed at the destination for delivery. There are random customs and FDA inspections but it certainly doesn’t catch everything. ---
**Author:** ![Countrypolitan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/858c86/32.png) [@Countrypolitan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Countrypolitan)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2009, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-customs-work/510712/3 "2009-09-19T18:23:20Z")
Answers to your questions: 1 &3. As state above, we pick and choose what to inspect. We don’t have time or manpower to look at everything. Depending on the commodity, the level/type of inspection can vary, from physical to xray to canine. Sometimes all three. 1. Narcotics, mostly. Also, agricultural products, intellectual property rights violations, currency, firearms, etc. 2. I’m pretty sure the basics are the same, but the methodology and targeting are different. If they’re available, see if the ABC show about Homeland Security is online and check it out. It’ll give you a good basic idea about how CBP (and Border Patrol) work. Anything else? ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2009, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-customs-work/510712/4 "2009-09-19T18:54:14Z")
> [@Countrypolitan](#): > > 1. Narcotics, mostly. Also, agricultural products, intellectual property rights violations, currency, firearms, etc. Inellectual property rights violations? What would this consist of? Fake sneakers and such? Seems to me a DVD or CD would be easier to transmit via the Internet then make copies here. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2009, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-customs-work/510712/5 "2009-09-19T20:56:47Z")
Imho, a small part of customs is to prevent dangerous imported goods, like drugs. However, the main part of customs, in any country, is to enforce tax laws and make sure goods are properly taxed when they are brought into the country. ---
**Author:** ![Countrypolitan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/858c86/32.png) [@Countrypolitan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Countrypolitan)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2009, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-customs-work/510712/6 "2009-09-20T02:22:47Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > Inellectual property rights violations? What would this consist of? Fake sneakers and such? Seems to me a DVD or CD would be easier to transmit via the Internet then make copies here. Yep, counterfeit goods–clothing, shoes, handbags, etc. If it’s got a fake logo on it, it’s not legal and is seized. Digital media (CDs, DVDs) is considered “piratical” and is illegal as well. If you go to [cbp.gov](http://cbp.gov), and search “news releases”, there are several concerning IPR violations. **Superhal** wins a paper declaration and a trip to secondary–Customs is the second largest source of revenue for the US Gov’t, coming from duties and fees collected on goods entering the commerce of the US. CBP is a huge agency, passenger and cargo inspections are just a fraction of what we do.