Christina, we are not living under the Taliban and if you think we are you need to get out more (except, as a woman, you'd not likely be able to, would you?). It is despicable and irresponsible to make such comparisons.

Use misdirection. Buy some vegetable seeds abroad. When you get to th US, declare that you are bringing in plant/agricultural materials. Customs agent, worried that you are harboring dreaded agricultural disease agents, immediately sends you to the agricultural inspector. He sees that thay are just seeds (allowed in) and sends you through. Customs thereby bypassed.

After watching our Border Security show I think that I would err on the side of caution as JanisJ suggests actually. I'd declare it before I left as I've seen customs question the amount of clothing some people have (they were actually trying to illegally import as it turns out) better to be safe than sorry.

Take some receipts along if possible and then she'll have them if she needs them. You never know with customs. I take receipts for some things that are bought new here before I depart for Paris and other places.

Since I usually go over my $800. duty free limit and know that I could get pulled over and inspected on my way back into the States, the last thing I need is to have the newly purchased items from Paris mixed up with some of the American bought items and have customs think that they were all bought in Paris.

I buy quite a few European items,many French and Italian ones, here in L.A. as a lot of times I can get them here for less than what they cost in Europe....like the $330. tote bag in Paris that I saw red-tagged at T.J.Maxx for $79.00. So, I just take along the T.J.Maxx receipt. I usually travel with quite a few handbags as that's what I like to take along and what I also like to buy while in Europe if I see something that I'm almost sure that I won't find at home.

And I know that the person traveling is buying American designer items, but American designer items are sold around the world as many brands of different countries are sold around the world and if one thing sends up a red-flag with customs officers, who knows what else might. And the question of, "Why would I buy an American item in Paris when I can buy it here at home?" is not going to possibly fly with customs and especially if they want to get nasty and I've seen some real nastiness.

The person traveling will probably also shop in Paris, and if she goes over her $800. duty-free limit, then she could very well be pulled over as soon as they see her declaration form. And who wants to have to explain everything?

There are certain airports that I try to avoid, O'Hare, Atlanta, JFK, Dulles, and Miami especially. I try to get non-stops out of L.A. as since around the 90s, LAX customs has gotten much better. They used to be brutal in the 70s and 80s. I've been through a lot of customs headaches in nearly 4 decades,whether over the duty-free limit or not. But, those headaches were mostly in the above mentioned airports.

Here at home it has been quite calm since the 90s. I won't even get started on customs at Atlanta Airport. I used to have to transit through there on quite a few overseas flights. A nightmare. Every time, everything was taken out of my suitcases and gone through. So, I like 2-plus hours for a connecting flight if I have to connect in any of the above mentioned airports, and have to possibly deal with customs. Happy Travels!

Ther "secondary" area at Dulles is not in view of everyone else.

<<Ther "secondary" area at Dulles is not in view of everyone else.>>

Correct. It's not in full, or even partial, view of people waiting for passengers. But it's in full view of everyone else waiting for their turn to be interrogated. I didn't mean WE could see what was happening to her.

There seem to be a certain number of folks on this board, not just in this post, who admit (and sometimes boast) to past (and current) deceptions. And, there are those who offer advice to get around the rules. Would they please be so kind as to share with the rest of us just exactly what is wrong with following laws designed to protect the population of this country from, among other things, economic and agricultural harm? Is the existence of a few overzealous and/or incompetent officials really a valid excuse?

From someone who declares *everything* per the rules, I would offer that many are sensitive to the abuse of power, particularly toward the vulnerable (19 year old on first visit to the states qualifies IMO, but not Betsy Bloomingdale).

Since I used to live in Hawaii I am well aware of (and support) the sound reasons for agricultural restrictions.

Because I have observed inconsistently applied rules and witnessed abuse of power by those in authority, I reserve the right to question both the rules and the enforcers.

annw, I agree with your posting totally. During my four years in Hawaii the value of properly applied agricultural controls was obvious. Your last paragraph is spot on.

What I'm protesting against here and in other posts (see my recent posting re Tinned Foie Gras in the France forum) is the blatant advice Fodorites have given on deliberately breaking the law with no intent other than to defraud. I have successfully challenged customs officials when I was in the right. That has nothing to do with outright attempts to deceive and defraud knowingly.

I do not consider it fraud when I completely disagree with the utility of the law. Some of those customs laws predate the invention of hygienic food processing.

Unfortunately, we seem to live in a world where people get to choose their own laws. Everyone suffers.

BigBlue, I haven't seen any encouragement by people on this thread to break the law, other than a couple of posts that I assumed were meant to be humorous. Nobody wants to be charged duty on items that they bought in the US, though. I've always filled out my customs declaration honestly and most always have exceeded the $800 limit (who thought up that number, anyway?), but have never been stopped. Oh wait! I was stopped in the Atlanta airport in 1973 on my way home from Spain. Customs charged me (no joke) 10 cents in duty, and that was literally all the money I had left. I had to borrow a dime to call my family to come pick me up.

By the way, the suggestion to bring in seeds and declare them in hopes of diverting attention is truly funny. You cannot import seeds into the USA from anywhere without a special import permit, and even then, if your seeds are inspected and deemed to pass the AG rules, you can only bring in 50 packets a year (or maybe it's within the 3 years that the permit is valid).

http://theseedsite.co.uk/aphisfaq.html#1

So saying you've got seeds will immediately throw you into the Ag line and you'll get your seeds confiscated and probably a pretty thorough going-through of everything else you've brought back.

theflock, the wording on my posting was precise and, specifically, referred to another thread of mine in which people were encouraged to break the law. You might also note in my original posting a reference to the well-known fact of life here on this board that people will suggest you do a wink and a nudge (not their words) and just not declare items.

<<You cannot import seeds into the USA from anywhere without a special import permit, and even then, if your seeds are inspected and deemed to pass the AG rules, you can only bring in 50 packets a year (or maybe it's within the 3 years that the permit is valid). >>

Well, two people in the last year have brought me (in the US) seed packs from Italy for basil (and one friend brought pepper and rosemary seeds as well, though they did not flourish as the basil has). I'm sure they did not have a special permit, but am also pretty sure they declared them (I will know in a couple of weeks when I see them over in Italy).

I am particularly keen to see how it goes when I come back with basil seed packs for gifts through Dulles (ick). Maybe they go easier on culinary herbs, I don't know.

annw, I've brought seed packets back too, but I think I was just lucky (I always declare everything, including seeds). I think the Customs people at most airports don't have a clue as to the voluminous regs that govern what you can bring in and what you can't, barring some obvious things like you can't come in with a sheep carcass. I doubt it has anything to do with subtleties like culinary herbs. You either get an agent who knows the laws or you get one who sort of thinks you might or might not be bending the rules. My experience, anyway.

Good luck with the seeds. I got some fabulous seeds from Morocco for spearmint a few years ago, which I noted on the form but which the Customs agent just waived on, but no go on seeds from the Netherlands, which had all sorts of certifications on them.

It's a crapshoot as far as I can tell. But I do agree that it's best to declare everything and let things pan out, whether they do so to your advantage or not.

That's a good way to look at it, StCirq; I guess I'll just take my chances and see how it goes! And meanwhile will enjoy the fresh basil! :)