RE: Is Declaring Smuggling?

Salut/Hi gerald,

le/on Mon, 16 Feb 2004 12:49:03 -0500, tu disais/you said:-

No, but what do YOU think will happen if you declare wine upon entry into a State with a zero entry allowance? I've not tried it, admittedly, but I'd expect it to be confiscated, wouldn't you?

Its a one way ticket to Guantanamo Bay Cuba.

Nope. You will have to pay duty on it (they accept credit cards, BTW) and that is about it unless you run into that Boston situation and the customs agent was intent upon enforcing that particular law - either way I doubt you would get into any legal trouble whatsoever.

They may be annoyed at you for bringing it up since they will have to fill out paperwork and process the duty receipt.

Once I brought in a large number of books, well over the personal exemption

- I declared it, had a spreadsheet printout with the full paid value and receipts and everything. Had the 'ol Mastercard ready - and the custom agent looked at me, frowned, looked at the books, frowned, asked if the amount I had declared was accurate - and I produced the receipts the back it, she frowned and didn't read it, and then told me to go on through. I think I had a bottle of scotch as well.

I think you guys should keep in mind that the customs agent are REALLY overworked and bored at the same time. They don't want to make their life more difficult, and have a great deal of latitude in assessing duty, etc. If you are American, you will get a lot of slack, I think non-Americans will get less, but probably more than the letter of the law would suggest.

You could also fly into NYC - which would not have the same extra-restrictions that Boston may have.

Still, interesting.

Personal experience says that you can bring back at least two cases (to the US), as long as you declare it and pay duty on it. And most of the time, they will not care and will not charge you. I just brought back a case of Albariño from Spain, declared it and was not charged any duty.

At some non-specific number of cases they could decide that it is more wine than might be considered reasonable for personal use and this could create problems for you, but smuggling is not one of them.

Tad

That is why you should play it safe - declare everything, and let the customs agent decide to wave you through.

And you probably wouldn't be a felon - because you need to go to a trail and lose to become one of those. You could be a "person of interest" by Ashcroft - which in my book is far, far worse. :-P

BTW, DON'T try to go through with cigars - the customs agents I have dealt with all seem to be suspicious that they are all Cuban. Best to smoke all the cigars you buy away from the US, and buy fresh ones in the US.

I enter the customs lane and am I asked if I have anything to declare. I respond yes, I declare everything. I have this 1992 Rosemont Shiraz but it is not expensive, it is a fruit bomb.

I wake up in the beautiful resort community of Guantanamo Bay the next day.

I hear the conditions at Guantanimo are pretty nice December through March.

If you go in a customs line and crack jokes about how your bottle of wine is an explosive, you would get in a heap of trouble, face deportation even BEFORE 9/11.

But, if I got it right, Ian, you won't enter a state with zero allowance, don't you? Neither NY nor NJ are dry, as to my knowledge.

M.

Salut/Hi Bill,

le/on Mon, 16 Feb 2004 21:56:34 GMT, tu disais/you said:-

LOL!! Nice place, but the neighbours are a tad intolerant it seems!!

One advantage of course, is that since you're the guest of the US administration, you don't spend any money in Cuba, so you won't be in breach of US law!

Salut/Hi Bromo,

le/on Mon, 16 Feb 2004 23:59:08 GMT, tu disais/you said:-

Well, these guys aren't really employed for their quirky sense of humour!

Although I started this one, with how I found the US administrative system to be pretty intimidating when entering the country, I have to tell you that one time, coming into Miami International in transit, (we didn't therefore expect to go through the full immigration palaver, so we'd not filled in the green card) we were sent back out of line to fill in an immigration card - frustrating since the line was 20 minutes. Well, when we'd filled it in, the immigration official beckoned us forward, and then (I _don't_ know how the conversation turned to food), recommended a place in the airport that offered great value food. It did and we had a splendid cuban meal for only about $10. So there IS a human face. It's sometimes hard to find, as a foreigner.

I think most states have a zero transference regulation, unless the state tax is paid.

Revenue agents in MD and VA monitored the DC liquor stores in the old days They recorded lisence plates, . Certain stores had almost continous monotoring. Crossing back into the home state one was busted.

Michigan had sunday sales, Ohio did not. The Michigan stores were watched, and the border patrol arrested people for bringing beer back. Big fine if over 3.2% beer.

I do not know if that still goes >Salut/Hi gerald,

Ian, the customs officials you are clearing with are Federal Agents not state. I feel confident if you were entering in Mass. at Boston's Logan you would not have any state official greet you at the Airport.

However, you would not be allowed to clear security if any bottles were open coming or traveling within the USA. Not even a bottle of open water is acceptable in many airports-security since 9/11.

Do as you wish but I think you are worrying about something that will not be a problem for you. Declare the items...show that you plan to be in NYC at Boston will not be an issue for you.

Regards,

Even I will agree that our Customs, especially Miami can be intimidating. Years ago I did extensive International Business Travel and even as a US Citizen the Miami officials thought they were part of the third reich.--Nazi's.

They were a first line against drug traffic into the USA. But why they thought persons coming in from Cruises, or the Bahamas would carry was amazing.

There I was once getting searched with a baby that was 6 months old, 5 year old a wife....I guess I fit their profile.

Salut/Hi Michael Pronay,

le/on 17 Feb 2004 09:23:49 GMT, tu disais/you said:-

You're right. But one reason I'm GOING that way is to avoid Boston's Logan airport.

The federal Agents are also required to enforce state law, as I had said earlier. If it is ok to bring into MA, no problem. If it is a state law that will not allow, the Feds will enforce the law. there a couple entry airports that do enforce the state law, and that is done by US Customs.

Explain where you get that idea that Federal is enforcing state. I am unaware of such activity with regards to Customs.