YVR Customs
 

Is YVR customs really paranoid? Much more paranoid than US CBP?

I recently got 'prevented' from exiting baggage claim by an officer who kept asking me "Why do you have so many bags?"

I live and work I Washington (USA), and this was my first trip abroad using YVR. I do have Nexus. I flew business class and was entitled to two checked bags, which I did have with me plus a rollaboard.

After scanning my Nexus card, I told the lady at the immigration podium that I had only cookies, and some pants (Uniqlo), and some mochi.... she waived me off. I picked up my bags at the carousel, but just when I was about to step out of the cordoned area, a [mod edit] guy got in front of me and asked, "Why do you have so many bags?" I told him I went shopping. He asked the same question. I told him all the items with me. He asked the same question. Then he asked why I picked Korea for a destination and why also Japan. He kept asking me the questions over and over and I gave the same answers.

I am not sure he knew I am not from Canada and that I was on my way to the border.

He eventually let me go, but scribbled something on my immigration printout form (could not make out what it was). Lady by the door collecting it did not even look at it. (Could he have placed something in my record??? How can I check???)

I eventually made my way to the border after I picked up my car. I was afraid that because I have a Nexus card, he may have messed up my record and I would be in trouble at the US border.

When I got the the US border, officer asked me if I had anything to declare. I said cookies, pants, mochi, sweater... He then cut me off and asked again. I enumerated the same items. LOL
He then said, "I'm only interested if you have alcohol, tobacco, weapons, plants, and produce/ meat." After I said no, he greeted me "welcome home."

Been living and working the in US for 15 years and have brought one, two, three, and at one point 4 checked bags with no problems at various US airports. YVR is a different experience.

Unfortunately not new and has been worse in the past. The questioning agent must have profiled you as some mule or some other suspicious character and trying to get you to change your story. Marking the form is just whether to send you to secondary or not.

Indeed, back in the 90s was moving out of an apt in NY state and wanted to store them at a family member's house for the summer while I traveled. The Canadian border agent asked what all the stuff in the car was and I said my things, accused me of wanting to sell things (mostly clothes, some books, bicycle, and a computer) and made me go into the office to pay sales tax if I were to sell everything. Then had to stop back at the office when driving back to NY to show nothing sold and get the tax back. Infuriating and the most expensive thing, computer, was bought in Canada so untaxed...

Due to the price and sales tax differential, there are many cross-border traders.

I would have thought the other way around - prices are lower up North. Then again, that was prior to covid.

Perhaps, but any pice differential quickly evaporates with the currency exchange, and especially with a 71 cent Canadian dollar these days.

For the OP, yeah YVR has always been sticky because of the number of people who do try to smuggle all kinds of stuff through there. My family is based in Vancouver ... brother works for AC, and some of his work stories are just unreal.

Nothing has changed over the last two decades with YVR customs.
Same BS, because of the 0.00000001% bad actors.