US Customs discussion - airports, importing

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#976
Well, CBP is the agency tasked with implementing and enforcing the tariffs and I think the scrum requiring their attention will not be the likes of us coming home with purchases to declare. I go out in a couple of weeks and will be coming back from Europe in mid-May and whatever happens, I would do the same as always before - declare and take the lottery between 0% and 9% (or higher).
Individual purchases shipped into the US from this point is the grayer area though and I would be interested to hear what happens there. One of our own tPFers has a Peter Nitz online purchase coming in and we might find out soon!
ETA or anyone here accustomed to having their H purchases shipped here and will be receiving one soon.
 
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#977
Eagerly awaiting these updates as they start coming in. Agreed to the randomness of it all even before tariffs came into play; on past trips I've been charged 3% across the board and on my most recent trip I was charged the precise duty amount listed for each item (9% for leather goods). There is a couple in Brussels that I love to purchase vintage Delvaux handbags from. I've always paid duty on them (I assume 9% but would need to look). They asked me if I know what the impact will be to those shipments and I honestly have no idea but like everyone else I will probably wait to purchase anything else until we have more info.
 
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#978
lalame said:
I think we’re all trying to figure that out… you may actually be the first member who has a trip, who has responded. Please report back on what you experience! I’m traveling next month… will also add any info I find here. :heart:
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I am coming back from Europe on Wednesday. My H appointment is tomorrow, but hopefully there will be loot!
 
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#980
BagLady7411 said:
Eagerly awaiting these updates as they start coming in. Agreed to the randomness of it all even before tariffs came into play; on past trips I've been charged 3% across the board and on my most recent trip I was charged the precise duty amount listed for each item (9% for leather goods). There is a couple in Brussels that I love to purchase vintage Delvaux handbags from. I've always paid duty on them (I assume 9% but would need to look). They asked me if I know what the impact will be to those shipments and I honestly have no idea but like everyone else I will probably wait to purchase anything else until we have more info.
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I thought you didn't have to pay duties on vintage items?
 
#983
I will let everyone know what happens when I come home in 10 days. I just got Global Entry a few weeks ago, so for those of you with GE, how does this affect you coming back and having to pay duty?
 
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#984
tensgrl said:
I will let everyone know what happens when I come home in 10 days. I just got Global Entry a few weeks ago, so for those of you with GE, how does this affect you coming back and having to pay duty?
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Global Entry (GE) and declaring at Customs ( CBP) are 2 different things - although in the same place.
You still must go to the facial scanner for GE.( this is analogous to Passport Control).
You can then either declare on the CBP app ( download, very easy) and then approach an office right after GE. State " I have something to declare". They either say "Keep going, you're holding up the line" or "Thanks, go over there".
If you don't declare on the app, do the same.

Declaring on the app that you have over $800 in purchases ( or $1600 if a couple) allows you to be honest and on the record. You do not list the purchases, just state that you have more than the allowed amount. Do the form before and when you have WIFI at the landing airport, take your photo and submit. If you then have to pay duty or not is always up to the officer.

Few weeks ago, I declared on the app. and could not, after having asked twice, get an officer to let me pay duty. Not complaining, but I know I tried. It's either linked already through the VAT system, they truly don't care for this type of "small potatoes" ( less than 10K, the amount used if bringing in cash) or its truly random based on how busy, etc they are.
I've both paid and not over the years- you never know.

Have a wonderful time!
 
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#986
nymeria said:
Global Entry (GE) and declaring at Customs ( CBP) are 2 different things - although in the same place.
You still must go to the facial scanner for GE.( this is analogous to Passport Control).
You can then either declare on the CBP app ( download, very easy) and then approach an office right after GE. State " I have something to declare". They either say "Keep going, you're holding up the line" or "Thanks, go over there".
If you don't declare on the app, do the same.

Declaring on the app that you have over $800 in purchases ( or $1600 if a couple) allows you to be honest and on the record. You do not list the purchases, just state that you have more than the allowed amount. Do the form before and when you have WIFI at the landing airport, take your photo and submit. If you then have to pay duty or not is always up to the officer.

Few weeks ago, I declared on the app. and could not, after having asked twice, get an officer to let me pay duty. Not complaining, but I know I tried. It's either linked already through the VAT system, they truly don't care for this type of "small potatoes" ( less than 10K, the amount used if bringing in cash) or its truly random based on how busy, etc they are.
I've both paid and not over the years- you never know.

Have a wonderful time!
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Thank you for the details! I have never declared on the app before and it’s asking for my picture, which makes me assume they will be expecting me? If they choose to? But you are saying I should still approach them? Needless to say, I’m hoping to be waved through and do not necessarily want to be Offering anymore than I have to.
 
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#987
tensgrl said:
I will let everyone know what happens when I come home in 10 days. I just got Global Entry a few weeks ago, so for those of you with GE, how does this affect you coming back and having to pay duty?
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Congratulations! Like the other member said, GE doesn’t really change anything in this regard BUT it does give you extra incentive to declare properly. If they catch you not declaring (or bringing contraband into the country) they will revoke GE and bar you from the program for life. This alone is way more of a deterrence for me than any penalty. There are stories of people losing GE because they accidentally brought a fresh banana or something like that into the country and forgot to declare it.
 
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#988
I just got back from Paris last week. My shopping came to about 11K. After I landed I went to GE kiosk and then proceeded to the CBP cubicles (I don't use the GE app). When it was my turn the officer said, "XX (my name), anything to declare?" I said yes, and declared my purchases. Their response, "sounds wonderful! enjoy!" I was surprised and asked, "that's it?" to which they responded "yes! you are a trusted GE member! Have a nice day." FWIW this was my fourth international trip within the past year during which I shopped and declared my purchases. I had to pay duty on one occasion only when I was traveling back with my husband and landed at EWR. That time (December), the officer was extremely meticulous, showed me their spreadsheet to calculate when I requested, and we were charged an average of 6% duty
 
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#989
nikotama said:
I just got back from Paris last week. My shopping came to about 11K. After I landed I went to GE kiosk and then proceeded to the CBP cubicles (I don't use the GE app). When it was my turn the officer said, "XX (my name), anything to declare?" I said yes, and declared my purchases. Their response, "sounds wonderful! enjoy!" I was surprised and asked, "that's it?" to which they responded "yes! you are a trusted GE member! Have a nice day." FWIW this was my fourth international trip within the past year during which I shopped and declared my purchases. I had to pay duty on one occasion only when I was traveling back with my husband and landed at EWR. That time (December), the officer was extremely meticulous, showed me their spreadsheet to calculate when I requested, and we were charged an average of 6% duty
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you are so lucky in the south ! I heard from my friend that CBSA in Canada is horrible, they charge almost full sales tax (13%) even you declare honestly, only deduct $1000 CAD from your declaration amount.
 
#990
OnlyModa said:
Thank you for the details! I have never declared on the app before and it’s asking for my picture, which makes me assume they will be expecting me? If they choose to? But you are saying I should still approach them? Needless to say, I’m hoping to be waved through and do not necessarily want to be Offering anymore than I have to.
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My pleasure.
Yes, the declaration on the app will not go through until you take and send your photo, having landed at your entry airport. And yes, you must still approach and state you have something to declare. My past few trips, the officers all knew my name ( matched with photo), but that doesn't preclude your declaring.
After that, I really think there are so many options discussed above (and now including, and probably increasingly important, that it's tied to you via your asking for the VAT at departure airport, and therefore many of the decisions are made centrally and are based on amount/did you declare on app/did you approach officer if you didn't use the app, etc.) that it becomes impossible to guess what will happen- too many variables. Sort of like the lottery at FSH :lol:
If you're honest, you'll never have to worry, so just go with it.
Have a wonderful trip!
 
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