Customs Law (U.S.) Research Guide

This guide is intended as a starting point for research in U.S. customs law.

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The U.S. Court of International Trade (1980 - )

Since 1980, the U.S. Court of International Trade has held original subject matter jurisdiction over a range of international trade and customs law questions. Appeals from the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) go to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and from there to the Supreme Court.

The Customs Court (1890 - 1980)

The Customs Court was the immediate predecessor to the current U.S. Court of International Trade. The court began in 1890 as the Board of General Appraisers, a quasi-judicial department of the U.S. Treasury. In 1926, the pressure of an increasing caseload and greater complexity led Congress to reorganize the Board as the Customs Court.

The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

The Federal Circuit Court of Appeals has appellate jurisdiction over cases adjudicated in the U.S. Court of International Trade. Cases decided by the Federal Circuit are published in the Federal Reporter.