customs

British  

/ ˈkʌstəmz /

noun

1. duty on imports or exports

2. the government department responsible for the collection of these duties

3. the part of a port, airport, frontier station, etc, where baggage and freight are examined for dutiable goods and contraband

4. the procedure for examining baggage and freight, paying duty, etc

5. ( as modifier )

   customs officer

---

Explanation

Customs are taxes, or duties, that you sometimes have to pay when you import goods from another country. When you return home from a trip to another country, you have to clear customs by talking to a customs officer and declaring everything you bought or got as a gift while you were traveling. If you're bringing in a lot of stuff, you may have to pay customs — the duty on imports. Customs are a source of income for a country, and they also provide control over what’s coming in.

Example Sentences

The day after the rules appeared, Reuters reported that Chinese customs officers had been told not to let the chips in.

From MarketWatch • May 21, 2026

Last year, China sold more than $40 million of such cable to Russia and about $6 million to Ukraine, according to Chinese customs data reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026

Last month, Sri Lankan customs officials intercepted nine Chinese nationals attempting to smuggle used mobile phones and laptops in the hundreds, raising suspicion they were to be used in large-scale fraud operations.

From Barron's • May 17, 2026

Because she acknowledged under questioning by customs officers that she’d once voted in a local election, despite not being a U.S. citizen.

From Salon • May 14, 2026

It’s funny how when you’ve been out of school for a little while—just two and a half weeks—what was second nature a few weeks ago feels like a different country with strange customs and rituals.

From "Sparrow" by Sarah Moon