| June 10, 1890 26 Stat. 131, 136 |
Congress authorized the President to appoint nine general appraisers of merchandise to be employed full time at ports designated by the Secretary of the Treasury. No more than five of the appraisers were to be of the same political party. The Act authorized the President to remove appraisers "for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office." |
| May 27, 1908 35 Stat. 403 |
Congress granted the Board of Appraisers "all the powers of a circuit court of the United States in preserving order, compelling the attendance of witnesses, and the production of evidence, and in punishing for contempt."
The act also stated that the general appraisers would hold their offices during good behavior, subject to removal by the President for the reasons established in the act of 1890. |
| August 5, 1909 36 Stat. 11, 98 |
The act authorized the President to designate one of the board members as "president of the board" (the position having been assigned at first by the members of the board and then by the Secretary of the Treasury). |
| Sept. 21, 1922 42 Stat. 858, 972 |
The act granted the board "all the powers of a district court of the United States for preserving order, compelling the attendance of witnesses, the production of evidence, and in punishing for contempt."
The act stipulated that a member who met certain age and service requirements could retire on the salary at the time of retirement. |
| May 28, 1926 44 Stat. 669 |
The act renamed the Board of General Appraisers as the U.S. Customs Court and designated its members as the chief justice and associate justices. The authorities of the court and the terms of service remained the same. |
| June 17, 1930 46 Stat. 590, 737 |
The act provided that the "chief justice" and "associate justices" of the court would henceforth be known as the presiding judge and judges.
The act authorized the President to appoint a successor for any judge who retired but chose to continue service on assignment by the presiding judge. The act transferred administrative oversight of the court from the Department of Treasury to the Department of Justice. |
| June 25, 1948 62 Stat. 869, 899 |
The act incorporated the customs court within Title 28, the title governing the judiciary. |
| July 14, 1956 70 Stat. 532 |
The act declared the court to be a court established under Article III of the Constitution of the United States. |
| October 10, 1980 94 Stat. 1727 |
Congress reorganized the U.S. Customs Court as the U.S. Court of International Trade. |
| Authorized Judgeships | |
| 1890 | 9 |
| 1926 | 9 |