Eastbay1K-- on a different note... if you are a serious Jumbo Mas member and points -collector, you can actually cash them in for LanPass kilometers... ;)

One day soon, maybe that information can be placed in a LAN forum! Actually, with the new Jumbo walking distance from my place, I may frequent it more often.

Now, back to the topic - for both SCL and EZE departures, while both airports have respectable wine selections, I wouldn't wait until I got to the airport to make my more serious wine purchases. The value isn't there, and if anything is going to need to go into a wine shipper for the connecting flight, you are going to be out of luck. Also, and I don't recall if it has been discussed, supra, there are liquid "traps" that the infrequent traveler might not think of, including:
(1) You will lose your liquids on your last departure point to the US, so if you are flying, i.e., EZE or SCL / LIM / US, you will have a gate liquids check @ LIM, and they will be pulled, even if purchased duty free elsewhere. (A lot of people figure they can just put them in their checked luggage at their first entry point in the US, but that is not the case). LAN makes announcements about this on their flights, and warns people not to even buy in flight liquids duty free until the last segment.
(2) You run the risk of losing your liquids if you have a LIM stopover even on the same flight number. If you are on a "crew change" flight, everyone has to get off the plane and in fact, your continuing segment may be on a different aircraft. (i.e., LA2608 GRU/LIM/SFO) You will have a gate security check for liquids. On the SCL-originating northbound to US flights, the crew and aircraft generally remains the same. Usually, your SCL Duty-Free purchases will be fine, as you don't leave the aircraft, and get them at the gate @ SCL while boarding. However, every once in a while there is an aircraft change - it doesn't happen very often (in fact, only twice in 10 years) but if it does, you lose your booze.

All this is to say that generally, unless you are flying nonstop from EZE or SCL to your final destination in the USA, it is just easier and often the same price or less to buy what you want during your trip, have it packed suitable for shipping, and not have to worry about all of the things that can go wrong, leaving you 'high and dry' and poorer for the experience.

Picked up a case of wine from Alex last week and flew back through EZE to IAD on United.

Checking the wine with United was zero problem. At IAD, used Global Entry but truthfully answered the questions triggering an "X". Went to the CBP desk and the person was entirely confused on what to do with the "X" card and went on for five minutes on how I was idiotic to declare my wine, how it didn't matter if I answered the questions truthfully, etc. etc. She logged into my CBP record that I brought in a case of wine, handed me back the "X" card and sent me on my way to get my baggage.

At the area where the CBP person collects the forms issues started. Why do you have an "X" card? What is in your box? etc. etc. Finally decides to send me to the "C" area where another CBP person gets annoyed why I am in that line, that he has to search all of my luggage, etc. I get another 5 minute speech on why I was stupid to declare my wine and tell the truth on the Global Entry computer.

After the search, the CBP person marked my account stating I brought in wine over the limits, but it was duty free this time. He told me if I brought wine over the limits again in the future, I would be charged duty.

Moral of the story - don't declare your above-limit wine at IAD.

IMHO the fact you have Global Entry (which we just obtained but haven't yet used) possibly complicated the issue. We've imported wine at IAD, declared it, and just been waved on because the paper work costs far more than the modest amount of money that would be collected.

It's sounds as if you ran into two cranky officers who were irritated at the thought of the paper work and gave you very bad advice. Everything that was drummed into us about NEXUS/Global Entry ensures that I'll continue to declare everything scrupulously. YMMV.

That moral doesn't quite compare to bringing pointy and bangy items through the security checkpoint, but I doubt next time, if you have an issue and say "the other officer told me not to declare it next time," you will still be crying as (1) you never see the specially-selected wine again, (2) you pay a penalty, and/or (3) your GE disappears.

I always fill out the paper card, even with GE, in case (1) the machine answers aren't quite good enough, and (2) the machine isn't working.

Folks... I of course have a horse in this race (I am a EZE based Fine Wine Merchant), but let me reflect my experiences here for the benefit of those that travel with wine - no matter where you buy it.

Global Entry or not... please always declare every single bottle you have to Uncle Sam's Customs boys & girls. In 98% of the instances, you will be waived through... for the rest, even if you have some agent that is picky enough to want to charge you tax, the amount will make you smile and/or laugh. For additional comfort, I have had a money back guarantee for US Taxes for the past 6 years, and have been called upon to honor it in exactly 3 (three) instances, and please note that not one week goes by without me preparing a package of wine that enters the USA.

Relax and bring back wine... just declare it (Global Entry or otherwise) and you will be fine..... :D ^

I have Global Entry and I never had the option to declare goods :eek:, only 4 questions about fruits, meats, commercial items or carrying more than 10.000 dollars.

Strange... perhaps the different GE machines at different locations have different software loaded and therefore have different options for the user to declare...???

:confused:

This one was a little different. For instance, it appears they changed the meat/dairy question on this machine since I last travelled. The question used to be specific to dairy, meat, fruit and veges. Now the question included "food" which previously was not included.

After answering the Y/N questions, on a separate screen I was asked if I exceeded my duty free allowances. It didn't ask to specifically declare anything - only a question if I exceeded the limits or not. (Second machine from the right at IAD).

Wine is not food and you the duty free allowance is up to u$s 800.00 (u$s 100 for visitors). Check the paper declaration form, they want to know if you bring something that is not allowed, they can't list everything and that's why they put food.

If you go to Spain, you can bring a smoked leg of ham without any problem ;)

The duty-free limit to bring back alcohol is one liter. While the CBP states here:

The actual tariff is so modest that it doesn't seem cost-effective to collect it.

Still, I would declare any alcohol I was importing in excess of one liter. What am I missing? :confused:

If you don't have Global Entry, is better if you declare any alcohol. I have Global Entry and I don't have that option (yet). As I said before, the only option of my last flight (Dec 30) was the regular food question and if I was carrying more than 10,000.00 dollars. Even if you have to pay, it will be 15 to 20 cents per bottle :D

TSA have another limit, for any checked luggage only 5 liters of alcohol with alcohol content between 24%~70% is allowed, but since wine have less, there is not limit ;).

This is very interesting information as we just received GE status and haven't used it yet. I'd feel really awkward entering at IAD with another case of Alex's wine and not mentioning it. :confused:

TSA limits on Alcohol only applies to booze that is flammable.... please remember that wine, even if its fortified, is not flammable.

I have brought back (2) 12 bottle Shippers on each of approximately 10 Visits in the past 30 months or so. Every time I Declared the Full Value on the Blue and White Customs Form. Normally I am asked how many bottles do I have by the First Officer and always tell them 24. Never had an issue except one time when I was leaving and turned in my Form at the Exit Officer before the transfer baggage station. He sent me to secondary. I asked for some Courtesy as I had a tight connection. The Officer asked me a few questions, placed two holes in the Declaration and sent me on my way with "Hows that for Courtesy" BTW, Federal Tax is .21 a Bottle for 14.0 % Alcohol and lower and .31 a Bottle for 14.1 % Alcohol and higher. Customs duty is very nominal especially with the GSP for 14.1% and Higher. In my opinion its always best to declare and you should never have an issue.

loofa133 entered trough IAD, the second screen asked if he had exceeded his duty free allowance. I didn't have that option on MIA (only the 10,000 limit), if you get it but you see the $800.00 limit you can say "NO", If you say Yes to any question, you will get a big X on your GE receipt :(

You will love GE, my last two flights from EZE (late OCT/late Dec) arriving to MIA was flawless ^. Remember, use your GE line, Diplomatic or any empty line to show your GE receipt.

Great info but a bit confusing based on the agent's comments at YYZ a couple of weeks ago. I was transiting through YYZ back to the US and had more than 1 liter of wine. I checked exceeded duty and got the big X on my GE card. I was sent to a room on the side and where I was told that I can bring in up to 1 gallon of wine (or 3.9L) and not have to declare it. Only spirits above a certain alcohol level - since forgotten - needed to be declared. Is that correct? I am hoping to bring more wine back in a few weeks and if I can skip the GE X, it would be great

Cheers -

All wines are well below the (alcohol) level of Spirits, with the notable exception of fortified wines (ie. Port and port-style wines), so unless you are dwelling into that category you dont neet to worry about them. Also, even if you did, Port is still wine so the chances of a Customs person looking into the alcohol % of your bottles of Port are very slim - although Im not suggesting anybody try to game US Customs... Im just stating the probabilities.

GE procedure specific issues aside, the bottom line is Uncle Sam doesnt give a hoot about wines, I have customers that regularly bring back 3 (three) cases of wines and they declare every single bottle, they have never been written up. Yes, if you have and use GE then you may get into secondary because the system is optimized to handle regular business travel with nothing over the normal allowance, but in the end, then chances of you getting written up and taxed on wine is less than 1%. Just declare is, explain that its not for resale, and you will be fine. I offer a money back guarantee for my customers taking wine into the USA and in 8 years in the business Ive been called upon to refund the taxes in all but 3 (three) instances - and I have clients entering the US with my wine at least 5-6 times a month.

Even if you find a loonie at customs willing to charge you, the cost will be a joke, so dont worry about it....

Still not quite what I was asking - interesting though. My question, in simple terms, is how much wine can I bring back into the US without having to declare anything? I understand I can bring "tons" of wine and pay. And I understand that the cost is de minimis. I was relaying info from the folks at YYZ when I was transiting back to the US, and that info was different that anything else that I had read. If I can avoid waiting for customs I'd rather just walk on through. However, to repeat, the only time I've heard numbers such as 1 gallon of wine and no declaration was ~2 weeks ago. Were the YYZ folks correct?

Cheers

You can bring 1L without declaring, of any liquid alcohol. Anything more, you must declare, no matter how "weak' the alcohol may be.

http://www.usitc.gov/publications/do...er/0910C22.pdf

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/det...r-personal-use

Rules aside.... whats important is how this is enforced.

In practice, if you dont have more than 24 bottles and if you declare every single one, I know from experience that you will have more than 95% chance of getting waived.... US customs does not give a hoot about wine.

I recently flew back from EZE to Minneapolis through Atlanta on Delta airlines with wine checked as baggage. Terrior Fine Wines (See 'Gaucho 100K' posts) set me up with great selections that were carefully packed and made the 5000 mile journey without incident. Thank you Alex!

A caveat here - I don't know if it would affect too many EZE-departing pax, but if SLC is your first port of entry into the USA, your booze may be seized, as having violated Utah law.

Does Salt Lake City even get direct flights from anything other than regional flights...?

Just got back from a 2 week trip down to BA. Unlike my previous adventures with customs documented here, customs in MIA was painless with 2 cases of delicious wine we got from Gaucho100k. Unlike our last adventure with the Global Entry machines, when you select the box saying you are over the duty limits, the slip does not print an "X", it prints an "O". You proceed to customs like normal and then disclose whatever it is that is over limit to the customs agent at the exit. In our case, we told him we had 2 cases of wine and he said "OK, Welcome to the US." That was it. Painless. No duty owed. Very happy to see that Global Entry has added the new "O" on the slips.

Europe...

Excited for my upcoming visit- not flying DL in biz so can't take my record 41 bottles back myself (:o) but will be exciting. Contemplating bringing down a shipper box myself but might be too much to lug around. Return will be a bit more :rolleyes: as I have an overnight in LIM, 25 hours in MEX, and stops in LAX and SEA. Oh and 2 PNR's too...yay.

But still a month to go.

Oh and no issues with duty entering the US of A (knocks on wood)

Do let me know your exact travel dates once you have them..... have you arranged airport transfers and the currency exchange details, etc.?

We have our dates...we're still ironing out the details of when we'll be in EZE vs. elsewhere in the country (or over in Uruguay)...

As for airport transfers and currency exchange, I made the mistake of overpaying for a private car from EZE to downtown last time (not grossly, just by about 100 pesos or so). My plan is to exchange just enough at the airport to pay for a taxi from the far taxi stand (not the one inside the terminal) to town and then go exchange more money on Calle Florida (where I got 9.375 when it was trading at 9.8 last September).

The current Peso devaluation has opened up a great window of opportunity to get you favorite Malbecs at rock bottom prices.......

Keep the prices low for us--we'll be there in three weeks! :D

Three weeks is an eternity in the current economic scenario. You have to get creative and have a "structured finance" approach to lock in current Peso Rates. Perhaps this is best taken to PM or email..... ;)

Bump !!!

I know this is old post, but I just came back 3 days ago with 12 bottles of wine (in a wine bottle shipper box) without any issue at MIA, but of course, I have to spend an extra 20 minutes waiting for my bags (the go trough x-ray before arriving at the bell), plus another 20 minutes to "recheck" my box at customs, they will send you to the yellow dots when they see you with any kind of box.

As an update, Delta which was historically the only US airline operating out of EZE that would have on & off issues with full cases of wine seems to have gotten its act together. Ive had a good number of US based clients of mine fly out on DL over the past few months and they have all gotten zero issues from the Delta check-in counter. As long as the wine is properly packed (ie. Styrofoam boxes), you will have zero issues.

United and American have a history of being very "wine friendly" here at EZE, so its business as usual for them.

Any news on this front? Very likely to bring an empty case-sized shipper box to EZE and fly home with it full on Delta in a couple months. Hoping all remains ok.

All is well.... Delta seems to have updated/trained their EZE ground staff as Ive had lots of clients on the EZE to ATL flight over the past year and Ive not had one incident of problems at check-on. UA and AA have always been very wine friendly, so there is nothing to worry about.

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MDZ to LAX
 

Just returned from 2 weeks in Mendoza, and brought back 2 cases of wine. For wine country this should be commonplace but it was surprising that many wineries did not have the styrofoam boxes or had no idea whether we could take wine back. We did track down a supply company in the city with the boxes. In LAX we were sent to secondary customs review after a 30 minute wait and the agent didn't know what she was talking about... Tried to tell us we were only allowed 1 liter per person total. Fortunately I had the CBP website open on my phone and showed her that it says you get 1 liter duty free and 3% duty on each bottle after. She was gracious and let us through without paying the $9 fee, just asked is to think of her when we drink it! So go through LAX well prepared.

Good to know... thanks for sharing this info !!! ^