U.S.A. Customs Peculiarities
We keep on posting about the rules of crossing the borders of different states.
This article will focus on U.S. import and export regulations.
U.S. Customs operates under its own rules, which are different from European ones.
You receive the customs declaration on board aircraft before arrival. The declaration must read all items (and their approximate value) that you take with and that are not intended for your personal use. This includes gifts intended for other people, items you bring for someone else, items intended for sale, product samples and industrial designs. Personal items do not need to be indicated.
IMPORT:
- What is allowed to import into the USA:
- Any amount of national currency. If the amount exceeds 10,000 USD, it must be declared.
- 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 4.4 lbs (2 kg) of tobacco.
- Personal items (including not only clothes and shoes, but also a camera, laptop or tablet, mobile phone, baby stroller, etc.) within reasonable limits.
- Gifts worth up to 100 USD per person.
- Up to 1 quart (946.3 ml.) of strong alcoholic beverages or 2 quarts of low-alcohol drinks.
- What is prohibited for import:
- Fresh and canned meat (including poultry)
- Meat, eggs, feathers, skins, fangs of wild animals
- Plants and seeds (with the exception of flowers without soil if there is a phytosanitary certificate)
- Some fruits and vegetables (including grapes, apples, tomatoes)
- Fish and non-canned caviar
- Dairy products and eggs
- Soil samples
- Clams and snails
- All types of drugs and narcotic-containing medications
- Medicines that have not been certified by the U.S. Federal Drug Agency
- Rare and endangered species of animals and birds; their skin, eggs, fangs, bone (including ivory, turtle shells, crocodile skin); products made of them
- Military weapons (melee and firearms)
- Toxic substances and poisons
- Explosives
- Materials (printed and electronic) with extremist content
- Absinthe
- Cuban cigars
EXPORT:
- What is prohibited for export:
- Equipment.
Drones and quadcopters, portable batteries for mobile devices, jumpers for starting car batteries, batteries with a power of over 100 Wh, echo sounders and spare parts for them, industrial-scale servers and routers, any electrical equipment used in the military and defense industry, encryption equipment, equipment for biometric authentication, integrated circuits and industrial-scale processors, cameras for covert surveillance, miners and components for them.
- Animals and plants.
It is strictly prohibited to export animals and plants that are listed in the Red Book and are the national treasure of the country.
- Products of animal origin.
Stuffed animals, natural pearls, bones, fins, horns and so on, reptile skin.
- Medicines, if:
they are manufactured in the other country;
their name and composition are not duplicated in English;
the original packaging has been opened or damaged;
they contain substances prohibited by the FDA.
- Cosmetics - restrictions on the composition of exported products.
If cosmetics contain alcohol, for example, alcohol-containing lotions, perfumes, eau de parfum. If cosmetics are packaged in pressurized containers. Products with minoxidil, nail polishes and gels, hair dyes, and any non-certified products.
- Household goods.
Any household products that may be hazardous to health. All explosive and flammable materials, piercing and cutting objects.
- Food.
Fresh and canned meat, fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Alcohol and smoking devices.
It is prohibited to transport absinthe and absinthe-containing drinks.
- Cultural artifacts.
Printed photographs, paintings and any other graphic materials with unknown author. Negatives, films, and goods that violate copyright, cannot be brought across the border.
- Weapons - any kind.
- Antiques.
- Products classified as secret developments.
Aviation equipment, rocket and space developments, engineering and technical safety equipment, optical sights, etc.
- Other goods.
Human organs and tissues, blood and its components, embryos and remains of humans and animals, any unidentified powders, gaseous and liquid materials that do not have labels or composition, household, medical and other garbage, posters, pornographic magazines, any graphic images of erotic content involving minors, synthetic and natural marijuana, narcotic substances and smoking mixtures, as well as any goods and ingredients used for their manufacture, items with a strong magnetic field.
When traveling to the United States of America, you need to know the country's immigration and customs regulations. Failure to comply with customs regulations can lead to confiscation of property, fines, trip cancellation, and even prosecution.
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Other documents:
Customs peculiarities of the State of Singapore