Topic 3. The US Customs Service

Ex. 3.1. Match the verbs to the nouns and the word combinations in ex. 3.2.:

1.assess 2.enforce 3.establish 4.perform 5.protect 6.raise 7.regulate 8.safeguard

a.the revenue b.provisions of the … laws c.the Customs Service d.a variety of functions e.agriculture and business f.revenue g.the movement of merchandise h.domestic industry

Ex. 3.2. Use the dictionary to translate the Overview of the US Customs Service into Russian:

1 History:

The US Customs Service was established by Congress by the Customs Organization Act of 1789, which was enacted to raise the revenue necessary for operating the government.

2 Mission:

As a major border enforcement agency, the Customs Service enforces the provisions of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended in addition to some 400 laws and regulations of 40 other agencies governing international traffic and trade.

Customs performs a variety of functions for these agencies in safeguarding US agriculture, business, health and security due to its presence at all US ports of entry. The primary mission of US Customs is to:

· Assess and collect revenue in the form of duties, taxes and fees on imported merchanise;

· Regulate the movement of persons, carriers, and merchandise or commodities between the United States and other nations;

· Protect domestic industry and the American worker against unfair competition from foreign manufacturers and producers;

· Protect the American public and environment against the introduction of hazardous and noxious products;

· Prevent the smuggling of narcotics and other contraband;

· Enforce certain provisions of the export control laws of the United States.

3 Staffing:

The United States Customs Service has a total of approximately 19,000 employees.

4 Location:

The United States Customs Service has offices in 49 states and 25 foreign countries. Its headquarters is located in Washington, D.C. Customs is divided into 7 regions, 44 districts and areas, 293 ports of entry and 131 enforcement offices. The Customs Service Academy is located at the Federal Law Enfocement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia, and at Tucson, Arizona.

Ex. 3.3. Answer the questions below about the US Customs Service:

1. When was the US Customs Service established?

2. What was its aim at the time?

3. What are the main functions of the US Customs Service nowadays?

4. What laws is Customs legislation in the USA based on?

5. What is the structure of the US Customs Service?

6. How many people does it employ?

7. Where is the US Customs Service headquarters located?

8. Where are US Customs officers trained?

Ex. 3.4. Read these Russian phrases and match them with their English equivalents in Ex. 3.5:

1. заниматься контрабандой наркотиков; заниматься нелегальной торговлей оружием; заниматься отмыванием денег; вывозить из страны передовые технологии; производить наркотики; проникать в страну (посредством…); пользоваться (печальной) известностью из-за производства и контрабанды наркотиков;

2. провоз контрабанды; обнаружение контрабанды; программа перехвата в воздухе; регионы с высоким риском; недостаток традиционного способа / метода (борьбы с ч.-л.; обнаружения ч.-л.); современные методы обнаружения наркотиков;

3. авиационный транспорт общего назначения; транспортные средства, принадлежащие частным лицам; грузы, перевозимые в контейнерах; полости в теле человека;

4. (о программе, организации) действовать эффективно; сократить провоз контрабанды; занимать много времени; использовать счетчики плотности; применять зонды; применять рентгеновские установки для целых контейнеров и грузов.

Ex. 3.5. Translate a scrap of dialogue below about the US Customs Service into Russian, sentence by sentence:

1. When was the US Customs Service founded?	1. The US Customs Service was founded 200 years ago.
2. What problems does the US Customs Service have to deal with?	2. America has long land-borders with Canada and Mexico, and tens of thousands of miles of coastline to police. It has to deal with drug smugglers, the weapon traffickers, the money launderers, the people trying to take the cutting edge technologies out of the country.
3. What recent successes can the US Customs Service boast of?	3. The US Customs Service air interdiction program on the southwest border is extremely effective. The US Customs officers have greatly diminished smuggling via general aviation aircraft.
4. What are the channels through which narcotics are smuggled into the U.S.?	4. Illegal narcotics find their way into the country in someone's baggage, in boats, in privately owned vehicles, in containerized cargo and containers, in the cavities in people's bodies.
5. Which countries are identified as high-risk areas notorious for narcotic production and narcotic smuggling?	5. Countries of Central and South America are identified as high-risk regions notorious for narcotic production and narcotic smuggling.
6. What is the disadvantage of the traditional method of detecting illegal drugs?	6. The disadvantage of the traditional method of detecting illegal drugs is that it is time-consuming.
7.What are some of the modern methods of detecting narcotics US Customs officers use?	7. Cargo X-rays, density meters, probes and X-ray systems for entire containers and cargo are used as modern methods of detecting narcotics by the US Customs Service.

Ex. 3.6. Translate the sentences below into English:

1. Таможенная служба США была основана 200 лет назад.

2. Таможенной службе США приходится иметь дело с торговцами наркотиков и оружия, с преступниками, занимающимися отмыванием денег, с людьми, пытающимися вывезти из страны передовые технологии.

3. На юго-западной границе очень эффективно действует программа перехвата в воздухе.

4. Американские таможенники значительно сократили объем контрабанды, перевозимой авиационным транспортом общего назначения.

5. Наркотики проникают в страну в багаже, лодках, транспортных средствах, принадлежащих частным лицам, контейнерах и грузах, перевозимых в них, в полостях человеческого тела.

6. Страны Центральной и Южной Америки выделяются как регионы с высоким риском, пользующиеся дурной славой из-за производства и контрабанды наркотиков.

7. Недостатком традиционного способа обнаружения нелегально провозимых наркотиков является то, что он отнимает много времени.

8. В качестве современных методов обнаружения наркотиков американская таможенная служба использует счетчики плотности, зонды, рентгеновские установки для целых контейнеров и грузов, производя досмотр грузов при помощи рентгеновских лучей.