Customs Officer Jobs

There are various Customs officer jobs available ranging from border control to commercial Customs inspectors. While each position requires Customs officers to perform specific tasks, all Customs officer jobs are relatively similar.

Customs officers can be situated at border entries, railway stations, airports, seaports, and many other entryways. Essentially, there are three main types of Customs officer jobs including commercial inspectors, traveller inspectors and postal inspectors.

Commercial inspectors are responsible for inspecting all cargo that enters or leaves the country. These Customs professionals must board boats, airplanes, and trucks in order to inspect cargo arriving from other countries.

In addition, a commercial inspector must also inspect any cargo that is leaving the country. These inspectors are also expected to inspect cargo documents in order to ensure that all laws have been met.

Postal inspectors are similar to commercial inspectors, only postal inspectors investigate parcels. All packages must be thoroughly inspected before leaving or arriving in the country. Postal inspectors must also make sure that any shipper or receiver has filled out the appropriate documents.

Traveller inspectors are different from postal and commercial inspectors. A traveller inspector’s duty is to speak with any traveller who attempts to enter or exit the country. These inspectors are often seen in airports, train stations, and seaports. Traveller inspectors are responsible for ensuring the safety of the country by refusing entry to anyone who seems suspicious.

Even though all Customs officer jobs are unique, many countries seek Customs officers who can speak a foreign language. Since Customs officers must communicate with people from all over the world, those officers who can speak a second or third language often secure top position. Additionally, any Сustoms officer should be able to handle high-pressure situations calmly and rationally.

Most of the Customs officer’s work involves processing various paperwork for immigration documents. They are also heavily involved in the inspection of cargo or baggage for prohibited items, as well as collecting funds for taxable imported goods. Most of the general public will see Customs officers when travelling between international destinations.

A Customs officer is a position that requires the ability to deal with many different types of people. Those who are at airports and borders will have to deal with a variety of personalities. Those who are at seaports will deal with fewer people, but will have more extensive cargo issues to pay attention to. This could include detailed examinations of large containers.

Exercise 23. Complete the sentences using the information from Text 5.

1. Commercial inspectors are ___________.

2. Postal inspectors are ________________.

3. Traveller inspectors are ______________.

4. All Customs officer jobs are ___________.

5. Customs officers must communicate __________.

6. Sometimes an officer has to be able to handle ___________.

7. They are also heavily involved in the ______________.

8. The position of a Customs officer requires _____________.

Text 6

Exercise 24. Fill in the gaps using the words from the box.

The importance of the role of the Customs Service has recently increased.

Customs administrations of different countries are responsible for extra (1) _________ that are not specific for the Customs Service.

In Czech Republic the Customs administration has been included in the Integrated (2) ________ of the country as a unit cooperating with other security corps in emergencies and crises.

French General Secretariat of Customs duties and indirect taxes contributes to certain public-service missions at sea. This activity covers three (3) __________:

1) policing of navigation and fishing,

2) sea rescue,

3) pollution control.

The French Customs Service fulfils one more unusual function. Customs administration has set up 60 (4) ________ of wine growing control. There are several reasons for Customs to be responsible for this peculiar activity. The (5) __________ products are one of the main export items determining the position of France in international trade. French wine is a world-famous (6) ________ which needs to be protected from (7) __________.

The Saudi Arabian Department of Customs implements a (8) ________ import control of goods restricted and prohibited (9) _________ with the Islamic rules and moral issues.

For the Swedish Customs this has meant a cumbersome and expensive handling of the seized alcohol.

While Swedish Customs provides ecological well-being for their citizens participating in production of (10) __________.

HM Revenue & Customs plays a highly responsible (11) _______ in society by collecting majority of tax (12) ________ as well as paying tax credits and child benefit. English Customs administration established special programme “Child Benefit and Child Trust Fund”.

Customs Service is a unique authority because:

1. The structure and functions of Customs reflect specific character of the country: its economics and politics features, both administrative and territorial structure and geographic particulars;

2. Customs administration fulfils a wide range of different tasks;

3. Customs bodies can be involved in performing “extra functions” as they consist of well-trained and highly-qualified staff which have to face sophisticated objectives on the border-line of Law, Economics and Science.

Exercise 25. Translate into Russian.

“Customs Areas” means the areas where the Customs exercise their activities as well as areas where the Customs exercise direct and indirect control or supervision of the relevant affairs.