Southern edge (customs border) of Captain Cook wharf, Ports of Auckland, New Zealand. An electric fence is faintly visible behind the historical fence.

A customs area is an area designated for storage of commercial goods that have not yet cleared customs. It is surrounded by a customs border. Most international airports and harbours have designated customs areas, sometimes covering the whole facility and including extensive storage warehouses.^[1] An electric fence is a barrier that uses painful or even lethal high-voltage electric shocks to deter animals or people from crossing a boundary. ... Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting customs duties and for controlling the flow of animals and goods (including personal effects and hazardous items) in and out of a country. ... Inside Green Logistics Co. ...

While territorially part of the country of the customs authorities, goods within the customs area have not technically entered the country yet, and may be subject to customs duties. The goods within the area are also subject to checks regarding their compliance with local rules (for example drug laws and biosecurity regulations), and thus may be impounded or turned back. For this reason, the customs areas are usually carefully controlled and fenced. Customs is the plural of custom, a common practice among a group of people. ... The prohibition of drugs through legislation or religious law is a common means of controlling the perceived negative consequences of recreational drug use at a society- or world-wide level. ... A biosecurity guarantee attempts to ensure that ecologies sustaining either people or animals are maintained. ... Search and seizure is a legal procedure used in many common law whereby police or other authorities and their agents, who suspect that a crime has been committed, do a search of a persons property and confiscate any relevant evidence to the crime. ...

The fact that goods are still technically outside the country of the customs area also allows easy transshipment to a third country without the need for customs checks.^[1] Transshipment is the shipment of goods to an intermediate destination, and then from there to yet another destination. ...

[edit] Other uses

The term is also sometimes used to define an area (usually composed of several countries) which form a customs union. A customs union is a free trade area with a Common External Tariff. ...

[edit] References

1. ^ ^{a b} Port Promotion FAQ (from the official website of the Port of Antwerp)