scope:

This part governs the production/disclosure of agency-maintained documents/ information requested pursuant to various disclosure laws and/or legal processes. Thus, the extent of disclosure of requested information may be dependent on whether the request is pursuant to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), as amended (5 U.S.C. 552), the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (5 U.S.C. 552a), and/ or under other statutory or regulatory authorities, as required by administrative and/or legal processes. The regulations for this part contain a discussion of applicable fees for the search, duplication, review, and other tasks associated with processing information requests pursuant to the FOIA, and also provide for the appeal of agency decisions and sanctions for the improper withholding and/or the untimely release of requested information. As information obtained by Customs is derived from a myriad of sources, persons seeking information should consult with the appropriate field officer before invoking the formal procedures set forth in this part. These regulations supplement the regulations of the Department of the Treasury regarding public access to records, which are found at 31 CFR part 1, and, in the event of any inconsistency between these regulations and those of the Department of the Treasury, the latter shall prevail. For purposes of this part, the Office of the Chief Counsel is considered a part of the United States Customs Service.