Seems like every week I learn about something else that I am ignorant about with regard to international travel.  This week it’s Homeland Security’s U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency.  When an American citizen comes back to the U.S. after traveling abroad, s/he must clear customs. One of the stops is filling out one or more entry forms.  You need to declare everything that you have purchased on your travels and pay import duty tax on those items.  If you have new items that you don’t have a receipt for, you must pay the tax whether or not you owned those things before you left the U.S.  For example, John bought a mini laptop and a digital camera several weeks ago.  To avoid the tax on items already owned, he must complete a Certificate of Registration (CBP form #4457) and submit proof of purchase to the CBP.  The items on the certificate must be physically verified by a border agent.     So on our short layover in Atlanta on our way to China, we need to find Border Protection and get our proof of ownership paper certified.   Before being cleared to board our aircraft, we could also be selected for a random search of our luggage or even a personal search by Border Protection — not counting searches by the TSA (Transporation Security Administation).  Well, at least now we have a heads-up and won’t be totally shocked if we are chosen for that experience.  And I guess it will be preparation for lack of freedoms in a non-democratic land.