How much bottled wine will US Customs allow in?
 

Would like to take a friend in Miami a dozen bottles of fine Australian white wine as gift next wek. Plan to leave it in the winery box with bubble wrap around each bottle. I hope that UA will accept it as checked baggage like that, if we accept the standard "Fragile" disclaimer etc?

I do not have a US Customs form with me, but recall there is a fixed printed limit on how much wine is allowed. Does anyone know for sure what that is? Two passengers travelling together, so 12 x 750mm = 9 litres total, so that would be 4.5 litres each. Hopefully in the Festive spirit mood, they may not get too bothered by this - or maybe they are strict? Appreciate any input. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Here's the U.S. Customs link covering what can be brought in, and some discussion of alcohol and gifts. It doesn't really seem to answer your questions, though, and even left me more confused when they mentioned state regulations, if stricter, could override federal regulations.

http://www.customs.ustreas.gov/travel/travel.htm

Yikes! Thanks Tom - you are right it really doesn't address the legal limit on wine possible to accompany you. We are entering USA via CA if that helps narrow it down. I recall there is that standard white customs form with a dozen or so boxes to check, and from memory ONE of those refers to something like "do you have with you more than xxxxx litres of wine".

As far as I know, there is no federal limit on the amount of wine/spirits that you bring into the US. There is a limit to what may be brought in duty-free. Above that amount, you may be charged duty.

If my memory serves me well, the duty is not very high. Additionally it's been my experience that US Customs waives the duty in most cases as the paperwork costs them more than what they would collect in duty. Note that I haven't done this in several years.

My advice: just declare the stuff and pay the duty, if needed.

[This message has been edited by BillMorrow (edited 12-08-2001).]

When I came back from Australia in November, I declared 4 bottles and the Customs agent waived me through. I asked what the import duty would have been if he hadn't, and I think the answer was $1/bottle. Wish I'd brought more.

I have brought back 12 bottles with no problems. Even declared them on the form.

the truth always works . . . and yes, all the other advice re: the limit being only an issue relative to "duty free" is accurate

My experience with signs is that they say you're only allowed to bring in one or two liters of alcohol...

d

How are you guys getting this stuff back? I'm flying LGW-IAH-MSY in a week and I have 6 bottles to bring back. If I can't find a creative way to check them, I'm going to have to carry them on which would prevent me from taking anything else onto the plane becuase of LGW's strict 1 carry-on policy. Checking them would be fantastic.

checked luggage; hardsided cases. not a problem in my experience

Joh,
I think the link does address the federal limit pretty clearly - it's one liter. If you bring in more than that then they can require you to pay duty.
See:
http://www.customs.ustreas.gov/travel/tobacco.htm

"One 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."
And:
"For example, if your exemption is $400 and you bring back three liters of wine and nothing else, two of those liters will be dutiable."

The amount you can bring in subject to duty is limited by how much the state you are entering will allow. Here is a link to California's import limitations:
http://www.abc.ca.gov/PERMITS/PM_IMPORTING.SSI

Here's a link that tells you how to compute the duty:
http://www.customs.ustreas.gov/travel/know.htm#Paying Duty

jerry
Edited to fix link.

[This message has been edited by jerry a. laska (edited 12-11-2001).]

[This message has been edited by jerry a. laska (edited 12-11-2001).]

Legally, they can ask for duty. As a practical matter, I routinely declare the wine and have never been slowed down even for as much as a case.

A good wine shop should be able to sell you a sytrofoam wine mailer. They come in 2, 3, 4, 6, 12, and 18 bottle sizes. Tape it up well and check it as baggage. Again, I've never had a problem.



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While you'll probably be just fine, there are also some really crazy interstate laws when it comes to transporting wine. Florida actually considers it a felony to ship wine from another state directly to a consumer - even if it's a gift from a friend. You can ship from abroad if you obtain some special permits.

Carrying it into Florida, they allow you to bring in one gallon of wine/alcohol tax-free. You must be able to prove you purchased it outside the state. But I really can't imagine you being checked on an interstate trip.

My wife and I frequently bring 12-18 bottles of wine from europe to IAD.

Declare it. Tax is $3.85 a dozen. I have never been charged. I frequently bring in commercial goods at the same time, and pay duty on the goods, but the wine has never been charged. I have had the duty on the wine calculated frequently, and it never comes out the same, or very much. A person tries to convert alchol percent to liters to gallons, etc.

For easy packing: Take an extra old hardsided piece of luggage. take sets of burgandy/champagne paper mache inserts, for both inside and outside each row of wine. Pack towels around the top and bottom, maybe a bit of bubble wrap on the outside. Get a good strap, and throw a tape wrap around the luggage. Make certain it has a good handle. 18 bottles weigh a lot.


I do not know anything about state regulations.

I have always declared the excess wine and the only comment that I have received from customs besides a wave through is "enjoy."
Recently took some fine Sonoma California wine to UK for a gift and since I was over the UK limit declared it and was also waved through.

I have brought back considerable amounts of wine in the past as well. Remember, that the only restriction is on what you can bring in without being subject to duty. So long as you are over 21 and not violating your state's laws. You may find though, that depending upon where you live, you may want to enter the US at a state with more liberal alcohol policies, i.e., Illinois, Washington, California; then one of the more restrictive states like Texas or New York.

Just go to your local wine/liquor shop to get
those paper mache inserts or they make cardboard wine bottle carrier/holders that will fully flatten down for packing.

Also, you may want to invest in a wine bag, like that which is used to bring wine to events and dinners, such as is used by those who have cellars and bring their own wine to such places. Mine is small, but I've seen some people with massive wine shoulder bags, and they keep pulling bottles out, until it seems they were carrying a whole case in there. A bag could be flattened and packed on the way over, then filled and carried on coming home.

Further, depending on the time of year you are traveling, or just as a general rule, you would not want to pack your wine if it is good stuff that you don't want damaged. Wine should be kept in a fairly standard environment, a humid 58 degrees, which doesn't always happen, but will still remain true if not exposed to extreme temperature changes. I would think the hold of a plane could easily go to such extremes.

Joh, there is a little noticed part of the act that repealed prohibition that requires US Customs officers to enforce the state laws at the port of entry. At Seattle, customs agents are supposed to require a release from the State of Washington before you can bring in over the 1 litre allowance. Whenever I have asked in advance, for a reasonable number of bottles, the Washington State Liquor office has always given be a permit at no charge. Once, when I hadn't cleared previously - I was bringing in several cases - the customs people at SeaTac impounded the wine, and I had to go to the State Liquor Board office adjacent to the airport. It only cost me about an hour delay, but that could be particularly onerous if you are making a tight connection. Another time, when I didn't have the state permit, the Customs Officer kept asking me if I was returning household goods. It took a couple of trys before I caught on and answered "yes", and he waved me through. Apparently there is also some sort of exception for this.

Also, I have had no problem when I cleared customs at Washington DC.

But, just to feel confortable, I would dash off a letter to the California Liquor office and be prepared.

Bruce

This exception applies not just to alcohol, but to anything you're carrying. If you took it with you when you left the country, you can bring it back without duty and without limitation (assuming it's legal to possess at all). For example, you take a $5000 laptop that you bought in the US, but was made in Taiwan, on a trip to Taiwan, and bring it back with you. Of course there's no duty. But, had you acquired the identical laptop while in Taiwan, duty would be owed upon your return. I suppose the Customs officer was coaching you to claim that you had taken the wine with you and brought it back.

I've had no trouble at IAD, which is in VA, would worry about BWI, as MD has strict state import laws, but have no idea where to clear customs in DC. Maybe when you arrive at Union Station on Amtrak.

I wouldn't worry about that. Short term variations in temp. do very little to effect wine. It's when your storing/aging that temp variations are harmful. Also if they are aged reds, let them sit for a day or two before service or decant with a filter to remove stirred up sediment.

Freefaller12k

God in His goodness sent the grapes, to cheer both great and small; little fools will drink too much, and great fools not at all. - Anonymous

I don't know what the limit is, but I took back like six bottles from New Zealand. I declared wine on the customs paperwork but didn't put down the number of bottles I had with me and they didn't say a thing.

As an expatriate Aussie who can't do without a good bottle of red, I have often brought multiple bottles back with me.

Usually come through LAX or SFO, and have had no problems. I always declare the wine, as the duty is ~10% of the purchased value of the wine. Have only had to pay once, usually they wave you through. Never had problems transhipping when I lived in Boston.

If you're looking for packaging materials - trying calling Eltim Enterprises in Mildura, Victoria (03) 5024 8688 according to the White Pages - they should be able to direct you to a local distributor. They make styrofoam containers for wine that are the best I've come across. The system is modular, so a container can hold 3, 6, 9, 12 etc bottles. I find that 9 bottles makes a nice manageable size and weight.

A word of warning - UA can be a bit picky about accepting the luggage (have never had problems with QF). At my last check-in 2 weeks ago, the agent reluctantly agreed to accept the package when I told him it had been professionally packed. Also the random check of checked luggage folks made me open the package so have some extra tape handy!

The wine tax is on the alcohol, not the product value. You pay $/% alky x quantity. If you exceed the $ value of import, then you may pay some % tax. I'm not familiar with that, but it has nothing to do with the fact that you are bringing in wine.

Tell that to the bottle of wine I left in my trunk one day - after the heat boiled it!

When they came out with those Jags that kept the air conditioning on, at a user-controlled setting, even while you weren't in the car, and even in the trunk, I thought wine transportation had to be the reason. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

The state tax may be based on the alcohol but the duty is based upon the value of the product - in other words save your receipts.
>>The flat duty rate will be charged on items that are dutiable but that cannot be included in your personal exemption, even if you have not exceeded the exemption. The best example of this is liquor: Say you return from Europe with $200 worth of items, including two liters of liquor. One liter will be duty-free under your exemption; the other will be dutiable at 4 percent, plus any Internal Revenue Service tax.<<


If you are coming to California you shouldn't have to pay any state tax as CA allows people to bring in up to 60 liters provided it's for personal use.
>>Adults traveling into California from a foreign country by steamship or airplane may bring with them a reasonable amount of alcoholic beverages fro personal or household use. A reasonable amount is not more than 60 liters (approximately five cases). (ABC agreement with U.S. Customs)<<

Florida appears to be rather strict with imports. From Florida's website FAQ's: >>Individuals may bring alcoholic beverages into the State of Florida in quantities less than or equal to one gallon, without being subject to state excise taxes. If the alcoholic beverages exceed one gallon, the individual must apply for a permit from the Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco
to import the product and pay Florida excise taxes. This application form may be found on the Internet at: http://www.state.fl.us/dbpr/abt/form.../bevformsperso
nalimport.pdf
http://www.state.fl.us/dbpr/abt/index.shtml

jerry


[This message has been edited by jerry a. laska (edited 12-11-2001).]