Will U.S. customs take my cookies?
May 14th, 2004, 11:16 AM
#21
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I bring back all kinds of food stuff (not fresh fruit or meats/cheese)! I mark YES on the form and have never been stopped.
A friend I travelled with went over his $400 allowance (by customs) and the agents took everything food related (candy, cookies and some great german sausage). When we went back to collect a bag he had forgot in the confusion the agents were actually slicing and eating the sausage!
We missed our connecting flight due to the delay by the way.
A friend I travelled with went over his $400 allowance (by customs) and the agents took everything food related (candy, cookies and some great german sausage). When we went back to collect a bag he had forgot in the confusion the agents were actually slicing and eating the sausage!
We missed our connecting flight due to the delay by the way.
May 14th, 2004, 12:42 PM
#25
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The safest thing to do is to look at the US Customs web site before you leave, then declare ANY food products on your return. At the moment I believe even canned meats are on the proscribed list, and if your luggage is put through one of the organic detectors any food items will show up. The Food & Ag people are extremely thorough, and it's best not to take a chance. We even had to translate the labels on canned cat food at the time when we could still bring it back with us as long as it didn't contain meat or meat products.
May 14th, 2004, 01:01 PM
#27
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I don't understand Patti's complaint about checking yes if she was the only one who did. I have checked yes on purpose to get into a shorter line upon return for that reason, knowing pretty well that they didn't care about my chocolate bar. I breeze through customs whenever I have checked yes and shown them the candy whereas other people are in really long lines.
Why are people so afraid of checking yes unless they think they are carrying something not allowed?
Why are people so afraid of checking yes unless they think they are carrying something not allowed?
May 14th, 2004, 01:11 PM
#28
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Here's more anecdotal evidence from somebody with a big-time sweet tooth: I always bring back cookies or candy, I always check yes, they usually ask what I've brought, if they do I always tell them, and they always wave me right through. No problem. I've asked several customs agents if I should check yes if that's the only food I've got, and they've all said that I should.
May 14th, 2004, 01:16 PM
#29
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You are probably Americans bringing products in your country, but what about Europeans who want to bring chocolates for American friends? How much can we take with us? What do we have to declare? Your customs are so severe and we certainly don't want to do anything wrong.
May 14th, 2004, 01:34 PM
#30
martinewezel, The same rules apply to foreign visitors to the US. The gift exemption for visitors is $100, after which duty is owed. It will be no problem to bring European candy.
(The original poster was, I believe, asking about bringing Italian cookies back to the US for friends.)
I, too, don't understand why someone would not check yes on the Food box. Failure to declare (outloud or in writing) makes you liable for civil penalties though I hardly see the Feds nailing someone for not owning up to a Cadbury bar.
(The original poster was, I believe, asking about bringing Italian cookies back to the US for friends.)
I, too, don't understand why someone would not check yes on the Food box. Failure to declare (outloud or in writing) makes you liable for civil penalties though I hardly see the Feds nailing someone for not owning up to a Cadbury bar.
May 14th, 2004, 01:41 PM
#31
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martinewezel - You have to write down ALL gifts that you are bringing into the US and their value. The allowance for visitors is US$100. They'll tax you for the first $1,000 over that first $100.
May 14th, 2004, 01:52 PM
#32
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Patti, I did what you did (didn't check "Yes"
but didn't do it willfully. Somehow, I thought food meant not desserts. If I were you, however, I would definitely check "Yes" as I don't see the problem if you do so. I feel you will have a problem if you did not check the box because if by chance you're caught it may not be a pleasant experience depending on the agent. Some can be pretty rude.
but didn't do it willfully. Somehow, I thought food meant not desserts. If I were you, however, I would definitely check "Yes" as I don't see the problem if you do so. I feel you will have a problem if you did not check the box because if by chance you're caught it may not be a pleasant experience depending on the agent. Some can be pretty rude.
May 14th, 2004, 02:15 PM
#33
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I confess, before 9/11 i used to bring prosciutto, salami, parmesan etc..,I was always lucky..But I dont try that anymore..I saw the light..
Now I bring back cans stuff, like for example delicious ducks legs,dry porcini or other items, always in pkg of items that are hard to find in the US.
Now I bring back cans stuff, like for example delicious ducks legs,dry porcini or other items, always in pkg of items that are hard to find in the US.
May 14th, 2004, 03:30 PM
#35
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I've never had a problem bringing food back into the US, including our return flight from CDG-SFO earlier this week. We had 3 kilos of chocolate, plus other assorted stuff.
We visited Rome earlier in our trip, and shipped some heavy/delicate things (olive oil, balsamic, etc.) home via Fed-Ex before continuing on to Paris. We were told it would be shipped overnight. In any case, 8 days and more than 100 euro later, we're still waiting for that package to arrive. For some reason, customs/FDA regulations are more stringent when you ship vs hand-carry (or bring in checked luggage).
We visited Rome earlier in our trip, and shipped some heavy/delicate things (olive oil, balsamic, etc.) home via Fed-Ex before continuing on to Paris. We were told it would be shipped overnight. In any case, 8 days and more than 100 euro later, we're still waiting for that package to arrive. For some reason, customs/FDA regulations are more stringent when you ship vs hand-carry (or bring in checked luggage).
May 14th, 2004, 03:42 PM
#36
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LilyLace, I don't really understand your friend's experience. If he went above the customs limit, of course he had to pay duty on the excess. And I guess the sausage was forbidden in any case -- food restrictions are a separate matter from the dollar amount limit on imports. But why did they take the candy and cookies?
May 14th, 2004, 04:34 PM
#37
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KT,
When you return from another country and you need to pay duty you are automatically sent to a different line for processing.
You are right that food restrictions are separate issue; however the whole problem started because Craig had listed more than the allowed $400 worth of purchases.
Because he also checked YES to the food question, all of his bags were searched and ALL of his food items (yes even the Kinder Eggs and cookies) were taken. He was told that they were not allowed to be brought into the US.
The reason I mentioned that he had to pay duty was because EVERYONE knows that you should never claim more than the permitted amount (oh no here come the critics, but honestly that should be another thread!)! My point being that if he wouldn't have listed more than $400 his bags would not have been searched. I'm sure you see now why I find it funny and he doesn't!
When you return from another country and you need to pay duty you are automatically sent to a different line for processing.
You are right that food restrictions are separate issue; however the whole problem started because Craig had listed more than the allowed $400 worth of purchases.
Because he also checked YES to the food question, all of his bags were searched and ALL of his food items (yes even the Kinder Eggs and cookies) were taken. He was told that they were not allowed to be brought into the US.
The reason I mentioned that he had to pay duty was because EVERYONE knows that you should never claim more than the permitted amount (oh no here come the critics, but honestly that should be another thread!)! My point being that if he wouldn't have listed more than $400 his bags would not have been searched. I'm sure you see now why I find it funny and he doesn't!
May 14th, 2004, 04:40 PM
#38
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I also always bring back food. Cheese, however, has always been an item of debate between me and my husband. He says don't buy it, and I always want to. So the only cheese I've ever brought in has been the stuff that we'd bought for snacks and hadn't finished. About six months ago a writer for our local paper wrote an article for the travel section of our local paper describing the cheeses he always brings back from France. He said he had never had any problems with customs. I e-mailed him and he confirmed that he has never had a problem. I also starteed to think about this after visiting a cheese shop in Paris where they would vacuum pack your cheese for you so you could take it for travelling.
Off the subject now. One time when returning from a trip to eastern Europe we were randomly selected for the agriculture screening scanner. The half roll of toilet paper (knowing what type of toilet paper is available in Romania, I'd taken my own) I had in the suitcase set off the scanner. The agent told me that because it is organic, it will trigger the scanner.
Off the subject now. One time when returning from a trip to eastern Europe we were randomly selected for the agriculture screening scanner. The half roll of toilet paper (knowing what type of toilet paper is available in Romania, I'd taken my own) I had in the suitcase set off the scanner. The agent told me that because it is organic, it will trigger the scanner.
