United States. Panama Canal. Bureau of Customs

Executive Department. Division of Civil Affairs. Bureau of Customs The chief of the Division heads the Bureau of customs. He is aided by two Chief Customs Inspectors. The Bureau has custody of merchandise discharged for persons or firms in the Republic of Panama not connected with "The Panama Canal" the railroad, Army, or Navy, until the duty is paid, and it issues permits for the release of such goods. It approves requests for free entry, arrests violators of customs regulations, and certifies invoices covering shipments of goods form the Canal Zone to the United States. It also inspects and seals miscellaneous household goods which have been in use and are to be shipped to the United States. These general functions are exercised through two customs houses, one at Cristobal and the other at Balboa. The Bureau of Customs also exercises the authority normally lodged with the Immigration Service with regard to the exclusion of the Chinese. All Chinese crew lists are checked, the Chief of the Division being charged directly with the responsibility for Chinese exclusion administration. The Bureau likewise supervises the work of preventing opium and liquor smuggling

Executive Department new organization went into effect, i.e. April 1, 1914 Division of Civil Affairs. Customs Bureau; Division of Civil Affairs. Customs Bureau; Executive Order Relating to Customs Service. By virtue of the authority vested in me I hereby established the following Order for the Canal Zone…Bureau of Customs This order shall take effect from and after this date The White House 8 August 1914 [No. 2016]

Executive department. Civil affairs, division of, During the war years the bureau of customs assumed the duties of enforcement in the Canal Zone of wartime restrictions placed upon travel and the movement of cargo, mail, and currency, which, in the United States, were handled by the Department of Treasury and Customs. All emergency operations have now been discontinued except export control, which has been extended until March 1, 1948.

The organization of The Panama Canal on the Isthmus as in effect during the fiscal year 1950, but to be superseded on July 1, 1950, by a revised organization, embraced five principal departments, mainly…Executive. The Executive Department embraced the civil government functions, including…customs; revised organization to become effective July 1, 1950…Eight operations units designated…Civil Affairs Bureau