It broke my heart to surrender this to customs agents....
 

Several years ago, I caught a 9 foot sailfish in Mexico, hired a kid to skin the thing, bribed the hotel restaurant manager to salt and freeze the skin and sail, then dragged the thawing remains through customs where an agent wrinkled his nose and passed me through!<BR><BR>Since then, it seems as though my treasures are always confiscated. These are the travel treasures that have broken my heart:<BR>(1) my 50 cent bon sai tree from Bangkok<BR>(2) the king cobra wallet from the Thai red cross snake farm (from snakes that served as venom-doners for the world's largest antidote research center, AND NOT from poached or illegally killed snakes (3) spices from the spice market in Istanbul (4) ginseng root from Seoul (5) live grapevine roots from Italy.<BR><BR>What have you surrendered to customs agents?

I've never had to surrender anything, cuz I don't try to import plants nor animal parts!

As long as you don't have to surrender yourself, you will be O.K.

<BR><BR>Just in case not everyone is aware of this. (I wasn't, until I heard about it on the news last week.)<BR><BR>http://www.customs.ustreas.gov/travel/travel.htm<BR><BR>Traveler's Standard Duty-Free Exemption<BR>Will Increase to $800 on November 4 <BR><BR>Washington - U.S. Customs Commissioner Robert C. Bonner today announced that starting November 4, 2002, the standard personal exemption-the total value of merchandise travelers may bring back to the United States without having to pay duty will increase from $400 to $800. The increase was contained in the Trade Act of 2002, which became law on August 6, 2002. All other personal exemption rates remain unchanged.

Really nice Cuban Cigars from Canada and Cuban Cigars from Portugal. What a shame!

Just curious as to why you did not just put the wallet in your back pocket? Can't speak to the rest of your items, however, I have never been searched coming through customs nor been asked to verify what was written on that little card they make you fill out before landing.

I tried to bring a nice smoked sausage back from Germany for my brother, but was too honest upon arrival in Philadelphia, and they seized it (probably because they thought it would make a nice snack). If someone can tell me what harmful elements I might have brought into the U.S. with a smoked, cured, processed and packaged salami, you have my eternal thanks. On the other hand, my brother got bupkes.

I have never had to surrender anything to customs. Never got busted by the cheese-sniffing beagles, either!<BR><BR>I find it hard to believe that you had to surrender the wallet, the spices, and the ginseng, though, as those are sold throughout the US! <BR><BR>Take heart: I am not sure if this place has king cobra wallets, but try this spot-- www.leatherofthesea.com

As I understand it, the concern is with plant and animal diseases, so items that are processed and sealed in jars or bottles ore OK, but those whose packaging is less impenetrable go into the dumpster. Though the likelihood of transmitting mad cow disease from souvenir meat is very very low, it is probably too much trouble for the inspectors to probe each piece and they therefore confiscate all. <BR><BR>By the way, it is to Agriculture, not Customs, that you surrender meat and plant products to; I've been referred to them when my Customs declaration answers &quot;yes&quot; to the food question. I gave up an Italian salami, purchased to use up the last of my lire at Fiumicino airport. After that experience, I knew better than to buy one of those Serrano hams you see hanging everywhere in Spain.

&pound;400 for bringing too many clothes back from the USA!

I had an Italian teacher who said her mother was trying to bring an Italian salami in and when the customs inspector said he'd have to take it she sat down on the floor and ate it.

David - don't you know you should remove ALl tags from any new clothes you buy and mix them up among your own clothes and don't admit to buying anything!!!

Of course I tried that, I removed all tags and had worn several items and as I was staying with friends they had also been washed. But customs are no fools....they have seen it all before. They also don't have to prove anything - the onus is on you to prove where you bought things! If you can't provide a recipt you're stuffed - it's a long story but after getting to know the customs officers quite well during the lenghty process the fine is half of what it should have been. So I guess I got off lightly!

I got to love the bacon,sausages and black puddings in the B and Bs in Ireland and decided to bring some home.Alas,they were all confiscated at Kennedy Airport.I understand that it may be possible to get some of these legally here now and wonder if anybody has an address or web details.

Can't you mail things back from Europe to your home address without much problem?

Two years ago we returned from Austria with some very pungent sausage and cheese in our backpacks - no problem. I guess things are tighter now. I had to trash my pocket knife at BWI a few weeks ago - forgot to put it in my check in! Someone should open a mailing service at the airports where you could mail all your knives, metal objects, etc. back home.

It is too bad that some of you had to give up your contraband at the airports, but please keep in mind that transporting plants over great distances can create ecological havoc, not only when the plants run amok (kudzu)but also because of parasites that they might have on them.<BR><BR>Both US Customs and the USDA have websites that list what may and may not be imported.

We had confiscated 6 little tins of pate purchased at Fauchon just a couple of weeks ago. The reason given was b/c pork was listed as an ingrediant. Since this was tinned, cooked pate, I strongly suspect that the pork producers lobby has more to do with that rule than with any real threat to the environment.<BR><BR>On the other hand, the fois gras we purchased at Fauchon pass through without incident--which was a good thing b/c I was not going to see several hundred dollars float out of my hands and into the bellies of agriculture agents at O'Hare. The pate, while a pity, only represented a $20 loss.

When I stepped off the plane in Barbados,on my honeymoon,I was still holding my bridal bouquet. I heard someone yelling &quot;PLANT QUARANTINE!!!&quot; And I was wisked away from everyone, including my husband. My flowers were torn apart by inspectors and them I was given back the ruined mess. Needless to say the flowers ended up in the airport trash can.

To the guy who had his knife confiscated at BWI and no way to mail it home. Same thing happened to me, they were going to take my special Swiss Army tiny knife I had on my key chain (just forgot it), fortunately I had time before the plane left to run back to the Smithsonian gift shop and buy a small gift which I had them ship home ALONG WITH MY KNIFE. I ended up with a nice present for my Mom and my knife for about $35. Wouldn't have done it if it hadn't been a special souvenir for me.