Chuck Grassley: “On May 15, 2003, Treasury Secretary Snow signed Treasury Department order No. 100-15, which delegates authority related…”

“On May 15, 2003, Treasury Secretary Snow signed Treasury Department order No. 100-15, which delegates authority related to certain revenue functions of the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection from the Department of Treasury to the Department of Homeland Security. The Treasury order identifies a number of essentially commercial Customs functions over which the Secretary of the Treasury will continue to exercise sole authority to approve regulations, including import quotas, classification and valuation of imports under the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedules, eligibility for trade preference programs, marking and labeling regulations, and copyright and trademark enforcement. Authority to approve other regulations will now fall under the authority of the Secretary of Homeland Security. The Customs Bureau serves two vital functions. One function is to protect our borders by making sure the goods that enter our country and the vehicles that carry them do not present a threat to the security of our nation. Customs also plays an equally critical role in supporting our country's economic security.”