US Customs for non-US citizens
Dec 31st, 2007, 08:51 AM
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US Customs for non-US citizens
I can't seem to find guidelines for what my French friends can bring into the US without paying duty. How many bottles of liquor or wine? Is it $800 per person, like here? I know all the food rules and assume they apply to everyone.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Dec 31st, 2007, 08:58 AM
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Visitors may bring in only a quart of booze duty-free. But US import duty on booze is peanuts (about 15 cents a litre on beer), and I've never, ever been stopped by US Customs anyway.
Forced to queue for ages behind Americans: but once a non-threatening foreigner gets to the front of the Customs queue, they always wave us through.
Forced to queue for ages behind Americans: but once a non-threatening foreigner gets to the front of the Customs queue, they always wave us through.
Dec 31st, 2007, 09:01 AM
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One liter of liquor is allowed per person, and anything over that you might be required to pay duty.
As for wine, the duty on still wine is minimal and my experience is they just pass you thru as the duty is not worth the paperwork. I've brought as many as 15 bottles of wine and not been charged duty.
Since you can't carry on liquids, they might consider those styrofoam shipping containers that you can get at most wine shops and ship the wine/spirits with the checked baggage.
As for wine, the duty on still wine is minimal and my experience is they just pass you thru as the duty is not worth the paperwork. I've brought as many as 15 bottles of wine and not been charged duty.
Since you can't carry on liquids, they might consider those styrofoam shipping containers that you can get at most wine shops and ship the wine/spirits with the checked baggage.
Dec 31st, 2007, 09:03 AM
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Visitors (non-U.S. Residents) are normally entitled to an exemption of $100 per person.
direclty from the US Customs website:
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/va...ation_form.xml
flanner has it correct - the duty on alcohol is so little US Customs does not bother to collect any. I've carried a case of wine with me, declared it, and simply been waved through.
direclty from the US Customs website:
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/va...ation_form.xml
flanner has it correct - the duty on alcohol is so little US Customs does not bother to collect any. I've carried a case of wine with me, declared it, and simply been waved through.
