Originally Posted by
EQDsSUCK
SO, if you declare that you have jewelry or a watch or whatever that exceeds to exemption limit by thousands, the CBP officer might just waive you through?
Regarding non-spouses sharing allowances, its a little confusing. In the first part it sets three conditions. Then it provides a definition of "domestic relationship" but it is unclear to what this is referring since that term isn't used in the three conditions.
It's apparently up to the CBP agent's discretion or non-publicized agency policy. I don't know where they draw the line. I do know that I've brought back items over the limit (~3-4L alcohol or several hundred over the $800 pp exemption) and was just waived after declaring.
CBP deleted domestic relationships from the first clause. The linked CFR has it as
1) Are related by blood, marriage, domestic relationship, or adoption;
which makes more sense than the CBP website version.