Taking Wine to the USA......in the Checked Baggage

[Vickie]

Hi guys,

Am going to the USA and would like to take some special bottles of wine.

Does anyone know the allowable limit please and/or how strict US Customs is about enforcing the limitations?

Has anyone tried taking wine to the USA recently please?

Thanks very much,
Vickie

[BillMac]

Try Googling "US Customs" and search from there.

[Mike Hawkins]

I've taken 10 - 20 bottles on numerous occassions. There is nowhere on the customs form to declare it, and no-one ever asks.

[Tristram Shandy]

When you say "special bottles" I hope you mean older vintage. If not, be aware that you can purchase a lot of Australian wine in the US for considerably less (especially with the latest exchange rate) than you can here.

For example:

Penfolds RWT 2002 US$66
Penfolds St.Henri 2002 US$36
Penfolds Bin389 2004 US$24

Prices on others such as Glaetzer, Kalleske, Kilakanoon, Mitolo are at worst comparable with the local discounted price, and gradually getting better.

On my next trip to the US I'll be bringing Australian wine back! Do you think that Customs would try to charge duty on Australian wine?

Cheers,

Tristram

[Muscat Mike]

On my next trip to the US I'll be bringing Australian wine back! Do you think that Customs would try to charge duty on Australian wine?

Cheers,

Tristram

Probably if in excess because WET was not paid on way out.
Mike.

[Elvispga]

From the US Customs site (http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacat ... g_duty.xml);

Alcoholic BeveragesOne liter (33.8 fl. oz.) of alcoholic beverages may be included in your exemption if:

* You are 21 years old.
* It is for your own use or as a gift.
* It does not violate the laws of the state in which you arrive.

Federal regulations allow you to bring back more than one liter of alcoholic beverage for personal use, but, as with extra tobacco, you will have to pay duty and Internal Revenue Service tax.

While Federal regulations do not specify a limit on the amount of alcohol you may bring back for personal use, unusual quantities are liable to raise suspicions that you are importing the alcohol for other purposes, such as for resale. CBP officers are authorized by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to make on-the-spot determinations that an importation is for commercial purposes, and may require you to obtain a permit to import the alcohol before releasing it to you. If you intend to bring back a substantial quantity of alcohol for your personal use, you should contact the port through which you will be re-entering the country, and make prior arrangements for entering the alcohol into the United States.

Also, you should be aware that state laws might limit the amount of alcohol you can bring in without a license. If you arrive in a state that has limitations on the amount of alcohol you may bring in without a license, that state law will be enforced by CBP, even though it may be more restrictive than federal regulations. We recommend that you check with the state government before you go abroad about their limitations on quantities allowed for personal importation and additional state taxes that might apply.

In brief, for both alcohol and tobacco, the quantities discussed in this booklet as being eligible for duty-free treatment may be included in your $800 or $1,600 exemption, just as any other purchase would be. But unlike other kinds of merchandise, amounts beyond those discussed here as being duty-free are taxed, even if you have not exceeded, or even met, your personal exemption. For example, if your exemption is $800 and you bring back three liters of wine and nothing else, two of those liters will be dutiable. Federal law prohibits shipping alcoholic beverages by mail within the United States.

Cheers
Elvis

[Scanlon]

With the weird state of international travel, just call the airlines & customs and make sure it's all ok.

Wouldn't want your nice wine to end up in the hands of a customs agent (who probably prefers beer)

[KMP]

I've taken 10 - 20 bottles on numerous occassions. There is nowhere on the customs form to declare it, and no-one ever asks.

This is correct. Brought back over a dozen bottles from New Zealand last December, 8 bottles in a box and the rest in our checked luggage. There is no way to declare it and no obvious information given during the flight, so we have never declared wine and have never been asked any questions. In fact I have taken wine both ways (never more than 4 bottles into Oz) every year since 9/11, and never been asked any questions.

The only problem you may encounter are luggage handlers who seem to have very little regard for any checked bags - so pack the wine WELL!

In terms of wine prices in the USA, do a search with Wine Searcher to get an idea of prices. Penfolds is cheaper, esp. at the top end, but that is not true for much else even though prices have been coming down in recent times due in part to the weak US dollar.

Mike

NOTE: In terms of the notes by Elvispga. If you going to bring in wine valued more than your exepmtion then you might have a problem, but that assumes that the customs folks know the value of the wine.

[Mike Hawkins]

Tristram,

If you look around in the US, you will find 04 Bin 389 for USD18 and less in a multitude of places. As for Grange 2001 and older, you should pay less than USD200 per bottle.

As for bringing Aussie wine back, the 2.25 litre rule applies - no exceptions. I tried debating at customs and lost !!

Mike

[Glen]

During a trip to Canada I learn't that the customs payable when entering the USA was about USD$1.10 per litre (no where near as bad as Australia). So while they make statements like 'Duties payable on excess alcohol', it is really a scare tactic, as the duties are negligible.
The canadian wineries use this to their advantage and have big posters making this very clear.

I have also wondered about debating with customs the fact that in a bottle of 15% wine, that only 112.5ml of it is actually alcohol, which would therefore entitle me to 20 bottles of wine!!! Afterall the tax is mean't to be on the alcohol content isn't it, not the water content.

[Vickie]

Hi guys,

Thanks very much for replying.

As per Elvis and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), only one litre of alcohol is permitted which started me thinking, who makes 1L bottles of wine

However, as Glen pointed out, the customs fee per litre is pretty small.

Thanks for the tips guys.

Cheers,
Vickie

[Vickie]

As for bringing Aussie wine back, the 2.25 litre rule applies - no exceptions. I tried debating at customs and lost !!

Mike

Recently, I brought 6 bottles of pinot from Otago back to Sydney.

I declared them and the Customs guy let me through for being honest.

[tpang]

I flew into SD last week with 6 bottles in my check-in, like others have pointed out, there is no where on the cards to declare alcohol, and quarantine isn't like in Aus where they stop and screen all your bags before you exit. The only problem is if you want to mail your bottles west to east coast. I tried mailing my bottles from SD to NY and the fed ex guy said it was illegal. wierd.

[monghead]

Vickie,

Just a tip on making sure the wine gets there ok. I would pack them in those polystyrene foam packs for a couple of reasons...

- Luggage can sometimes spend hours in direct sunlight on the tarmac / sorting area, waiting to be loaded.

- Protection from being crushed in your luggage. Often, it just takes a hard suitcase to be dumped onto your soft suitcase, an edge catching the neck of the bottle, to result in a broken bottle, and a bag full of red, clothes. Happened to me once...

Cheers,

Monghead