                        TITLE 19--CUSTOMS DUTIES
 
                      CHAPTER 4--TARIFF ACT OF 1930
 
                 SUBTITLE III--ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS
 
                     Part V--Enforcement Provisions
 
Sec. 1628. Exchange of information


(a) In general

    The Secretary may by regulation authorize customs officers to 
exchange information or documents with foreign customs and law 
enforcement agencies if the Secretary reasonably believes the exchange 
of information is necessary to--
        (1) insure compliance with any law or regulation enforced or 
    administered by the Customs Service;
        (2) administer or enforce multilateral or bilateral agreements 
    to which the United States is a party;
        (3) assist in investigative, judicial and quasi-judicial 
    proceedings in the United States; and
        (4) an action comparable to any of those described in paragraphs 
    (1) through (4) \1\ undertaken by a foreign customs or law 
    enforcement agency, or in relation to a proceeding in a foreign 
    country.
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    \1\ So in original. Probably should be ``(3)''.
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(b) Nondisclosure and uses of information provided

    (1) Information may be provided to foreign customs and law 
enforcement agencies under subsection (a) of this section only if the 
Secretary obtains assurances from such agencies that such information 
will be held in confidence and used only for the law enforcement 
purposes for which such information is provided to such agencies by the 
Secretary.
    (2) No information may be provided under subsection (a) of this 
section to any foreign customs or law enforcement agency that has 
violated any assurances described in paragraph (1).

(c) Government agency of NAFTA country

    The Secretary may authorize the Customs Service to exchange 
information with any government agency of a NAFTA country, as defined in 
section 3301(4) of this title, if the Secretary--
        (1) reasonably believes the exchange of information is necessary 
    to implement chapter 3, 4, or 5 of the North American Free Trade 
    Agreement, and
        (2) obtains assurances from such country that the information 
    will be held in confidence and used only for governmental purposes.

(June 17, 1930, ch. 497, title IV, Sec. 628, as added Pub. L. 99-570, 
title III, Sec. 3127, Oct. 27, 1986, 100 Stat. 3207-89; amended Pub. L. 
103-182, title II, Sec. 209, Dec. 8, 1993, 107 Stat. 2098.)


                               Amendments

    1993--Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 103-182 added subsec. (c).


                    Effective Date of 1993 Amendment

    Amendment by Pub. L. 103-182 effective on the date the North 
American Free Trade Agreement enters into force with respect to the 
United States [Jan. 1, 1994], see section 213(b) of Pub. L. 103-182, set 
out as an Effective Date note under section 3331 of this title.
