Organization
Field Operations Offices
CBP
operates through a field-office structure that consists of 20 Field Operations
offices around the United States. These field offices provide managerial
oversight and operational assistance to
324 ports of entry around the nation and 14 preclearance offices in Canada and the Caribbean.
Established
according to geographic region, Field Operations offices are the means by which CBP Headquarters distributes
key policies and procedures to CBP
officers and importing staff around the country. Each field office
supervises a certain number of service
or area ports, which are larger, full-service ports with staff subdivisions designated to handle commercial
transactions, as well as smaller ports of
entry that handle less traffic.
Field
Operations offices provide guidance to the ports under their geographic jurisdiction to ensure the dissemination and
implementation of CBP guidelines, policies
and procedures. Import transactions are conducted at service ports, area
ports, and ports of entry, so these
locations will be of primary interest to the trade community. CBP is also responsible for administering the
customs laws of the United States Virgin Islands.
Ports Of Entry
Ports
of entry conduct the daily, port-specific operations like clearing cargo, collecting duties and other monies associated
with imports, and processing passengers
arriving from abroad. Port personnel are the face at the border for
nearly all cargo carriers and people
entering the United States. Ports of entry are the level at which CBP
enforces import and export laws and
regulations and implements immigration policies and programs. Port officers also perform
agricultural inspections to protect the USA from potential carriers of animal and plant pests
or diseases that could cause serious damage to
America's crops, livestock, pets, and the environment.
For
a detailed listing of ports of entry, please refer to:
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/toolbox/ports/.
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