StCirq

It must be in jars or tins with proper "etiquettes" (labels), and the Ag folks will decide what's proper.

nukesafe

"Don't bother to declare it --"

Bad advice, IMO!

Robert2533

I see you don't travel much. There is a lot of items we do not declare. It's all part of the game as Customs doesn't really care if you want to bring back a little foie gras.

michele_d

"Don't bother to declare it --"

Wow...really bad advice.

Robert2533

More from someone else who doesn't travel much. You people really have to get over it. US Customs have more important things to do then worry about someone smuggling in a little treat or two for their personal use. That little beagle you see sniffing around luggage in arrivals isn't looking for some Jamón, but drugs, although it is hard for them to resist that uneaten and unwrapped ham sandwich stuffed into your carry-on, but they will not be able to detect a tin of foie gras.

If you know what you're doing, it isn't a problem, although I do not endorse smuggling of any kind.

nukesafe

I'll bet I've travelled more than you, Bob, and I think it is simply stupid to do illegal things for petty rewards like sneaking a sausage past customs. The penalties of aggravation, hassle, inconvenience and embarrassment far outweigh the benefits, IMO.

Rostra

<<<That little beagle you see sniffing around luggage in arrivals isn't looking for some Jam�n, but drugs, although it is hard for them to resist that uneaten and unwrapped ham sandwich stuffed into your carry-on,>>>

Actually the Beagles are looking only for the Foodie Smugglers and they know if you've been Bad or Good as they will only hit on the illegal meat, cheese, produce, etc items and pass on the legal ones.

I saw one beagle in Boston Airport hit on an Italian man's luggage off a direct flight from Italy, he had a small sprig with maybe 3-4 leaves on it from some type tree.
It was just taken from him.

HappyTrvlr

Beware of the aggie inspectors and their dogs.They took away my tulip bulbs from Amsterdam at JFK because they didn't have a special little metal tag which the seller said they had inside the bag. I would guess I wasn't the only one with tulips in my bag on that flight but the only one pulled aside and tulip bulbs confiscated.
I also had my Greek honey from Crete opened and an Aggie official's finger stuck in it to check if it had bee honey comb fungus, disgusting, also at JFK.

ileen

Can one bring small wooden statues, wooden toys or even wooden spoons into US.
I think wooden items are prohibited to bring into Australia, thus wondering.

michele_d

We have brought back wooden items back to the US with no problem.

nukesafe

I'm curious, Ileen, what is the reason given for not allowing wooden object into Australia?

Christina

That wooden thing is a new one, never heard of that, I've brought back various wooden souvenirs from many countries (like those hand-painted wooden plates from Poland), not to mention just small wooden knick-knacks.

I can only imagine Australia is concerned with possible insects in wood, I can't imagine anything else.

YOu can't bring back things that are plant products to the US, they are concerned about disease and pest, so it's not just fruits or even foods, necessarily.

I don't know why someone things the dogs won't smell food, they will, and it is illegal and you will be busted. I've seen it happen.

michele_d

Robert2533

<More from someone else who doesn't travel much.>

Wow, you have a pretty high opinion of yourself, don't you?

Nearly 200 days of travel to 17 countries in the last three years makes me untraveled... interesting.

Robert2533

17 countries, 200 days! Interesting, but hardly exceptional...

michele_d

but hardly untraveled either...as you stated.

kerouac

Frankly (and I do not recommend that anybody copy my behavior), I always took what I wanted back to the US, authorized or not, and it got through 90% of the time, undeclared.

The other 10% of the time, it was just taken away. I was not fined or thrown in prison.

Robert2533

As kerouac noted, customs has far too much to worry about. If you understand the system, you'll know how that will react. We seldom list all of the items we come back with. Sometimes I just forget, or don't care. If you think you're guilty of something, it will show.

If you're not worried about getting caught smuggling something into the country, then you will be relaxed. Some people can do it, others can't, and shouldn't try. Customs is not the big bad wolf.

StCirq

Well, I almost always declare stuff and go through the Ag line because I almost always have foie gras and goose fat and other things that might be suspect, and 90% of the time they just wave me through, but sometimes they do confiscate stuff. I lost a lot of goose fat a few years ago ( for no good reason, but the Ag people were clueless).

Egbert

So what is the deal with jamon? Can we bring it back to the U.S.? That's what I really want to bring the most of. As far as I know the only place to buy it in the states is La tienda and it's too expensive.

kerouac

The deal is that if you want to bring it back, you don't declare it -- at your own risk. (The risk is only the amount you paid for it.)