Sep 6, 2018, 11:23 am
Last edit by: seawolf
Global Entry kiosks typically ask a yes/no question about whether you are bringing "food" into the country. The question is broader than on the deprecated blue form that asked about fruits, vegetables, meats, etc.
CBP answers the question of whether you must declare all "food" on its website:
CBP expects declaration to be made even if not asked by kiosk or explicitly asked by CBP officer
Yes, all food items and products must be declared when entering the U.S.
You may be able to bring in food such as fruits, meats or other agricultural products depending on the region or country from which you are traveling.
General consensus is that the best practice is to declare any "food", include candies, cookies, snacks, etc. and then inform the CBP agent about your food. Experience has been that in nearly all cases the agent will wave you through with extremely minimal delay. As explained elsewhere, the primary focus of the question is to prevent importation of fruits, vegetable, and meats that could cause harm to the American food supply, but it is safest to allow the CBP agent to make the determination.
There is some debate as to whether items one can ingest for non-nutritive reasons (e.g., gum, toothpaste, medicine) should qualify as food. There does not appear to be an answer from CBP or experience showing the proper categorization of such items.
CBP answers the question of whether you must declare all "food" on its website:
CBP expects declaration to be made even if not asked by kiosk or explicitly asked by CBP officer
Link to TTP Interview guidance letter - Thanks hourglass
Must I declare food items or products when using the Global entry kiosk?
Yes, all food items and products must be declared when entering the U.S.You may be able to bring in food such as fruits, meats or other agricultural products depending on the region or country from which you are traveling.
There is some debate as to whether items one can ingest for non-nutritive reasons (e.g., gum, toothpaste, medicine) should qualify as food. There does not appear to be an answer from CBP or experience showing the proper categorization of such items.
Global Entry Kiosks Declarations and Food Questions
Sep 2, 2018, 11:35 am
#841
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: where the chile is hot
Programs: AA,RR,NW,Delta ,UA,CO
Posts: 41,643
(sigh).
It doesn't matter if the kiosk includes the word 'food' or not.
The RULES require you to declare ALL foods.
Unlike 'ordinary' travelers who might confuse 'declaration' with 'allowed', GE members are expected to know the rules. The rules say that you DECLARE all foods, even if you know (or think you do) that they are allowed.
Yeah, the odds of getting busted for not declaring a box of candy and getting caught are pretty slim, but there are some zero tolerance agents out there. Folks coming to this forum for advice need to realize that the RULES require you to declare everything. It's a personal decision whether or not you want to risk your TT privilege by taking a chance.
It doesn't matter if the kiosk includes the word 'food' or not.
The RULES require you to declare ALL foods.
Unlike 'ordinary' travelers who might confuse 'declaration' with 'allowed', GE members are expected to know the rules. The rules say that you DECLARE all foods, even if you know (or think you do) that they are allowed.
Yeah, the odds of getting busted for not declaring a box of candy and getting caught are pretty slim, but there are some zero tolerance agents out there. Folks coming to this forum for advice need to realize that the RULES require you to declare everything. It's a personal decision whether or not you want to risk your TT privilege by taking a chance.
Sep 4, 2018, 10:08 am
#842
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: BUR / LAX
Programs: UA MM/Gold; WN A-list; HH something depending; Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,546
Had similar experience at LAX a few weeks ago. Walked up with the big mark on my form, he didn't even ask, I didn't get a chance to say anything, just looked at us and waived us thru.
Sep 27, 2018, 2:48 am
#843
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: SFO
Posts: 181
In addition, I was using GE kiosk and delcared food, and the immigration official grilled me and asked me what I need to declare since I answered food as what I have always done before, no automatic wave like before. He even said I should always have a written I-94 ready in case the GE kiosks weren't working. Looks like they are doing both immigration and customs duties now, and the attitude this time was horrible, but I wasn't going to argue my way out so I just said I will keep that in mind next time.
I don't know what to think of SFO now.
Sep 27, 2018, 7:16 am
#844
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: Alaska 100K - MM, defender of shoes on the carpeted bulkhead 4ever, AA LT PLT, Hyatt Glob, HH Dia
Posts: 7,441
I always declare my food - whether its chocolate, cookies, spices or cheese. Every time i bring cheese they ask me if I have brought in meat. I never bring meat, but I think they just associate meat with cheese. I do pad my schedule knowing that 30% of the time I'll have to go through secondary inspection of my bag.
Sep 27, 2018, 9:18 am
#845
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: SFO
Programs: COdbaUA Platinum 2MM
Posts: 5,532
Looked like SFO changed the immigration and customs flow somewhat (at least for international terminal G arrival). You no longer have to hand over the declaration form before exiting the customs after luggage carousels.
In addition, I was using GE kiosk and delcared food, and the immigration official grilled me and asked me what I need to declare since I answered food as what I have always done before, no automatic wave like before. He even said I should always have a written I-94 ready in case the GE kiosks weren't working. Looks like they are doing both immigration and customs duties now, and the attitude this time was horrible, but I wasn't going to argue my way out so I just said I will keep that in mind next time.
I don't know what to think of SFO now.
In addition, I was using GE kiosk and delcared food, and the immigration official grilled me and asked me what I need to declare since I answered food as what I have always done before, no automatic wave like before. He even said I should always have a written I-94 ready in case the GE kiosks weren't working. Looks like they are doing both immigration and customs duties now, and the attitude this time was horrible, but I wasn't going to argue my way out so I just said I will keep that in mind next time.
I don't know what to think of SFO now.
Airports with Unified Immigration/Customs Screening
Sep 27, 2018, 10:25 am
#846
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: SAN
Posts: 284
I'm a new GE member and used GE for the first time at YVR pre-clearance yesterday. Sure enough the term "food" was present on the list of food items. As suggested by other here I declared the food and got a big circle on the slip. I was carrying snacks. The officer briefly asked what food I was carrying. I explained and that was it. Added no more than about 5 secs to the process.
Sep 27, 2018, 12:36 pm
#847
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SJC
Programs: AA, AS, Marriott
Posts: 6,056
In addition, I was using GE kiosk and delcared food, and the immigration official grilled me and asked me what I need to declare since I answered food as what I have always done before, no automatic wave like before. He even said I should always have a written I-94 ready in case the GE kiosks weren't working.
Sep 27, 2018, 9:11 pm
#848
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Las Vegas
Programs: United Platinum, IHG Spire Ambassador, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 284
Returned through DEN from NRT a couple of weeks ago. Selected "yes" for food, got the circle on the form, and when I presented it to the customs officer I said "I just have some candies and snacks." He said "thank you for declaring" and waved me through.
Sep 28, 2018, 12:56 am
#849
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: SFO
Posts: 181
First, did the officer specifically say I-94? The written I-94 went away 5 years ago and was an arrival/departure record, nothing to do with customs. I don't prepare a customs form just in case. I've only had one instance of the kiosks being down, and I filled out the form on the spot in front of the officer without issue.
Sep 30, 2018, 12:54 am
#850
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Hawai'i Nei
Programs: Au: UA, Marriott, Hilton; GE
Posts: 7,133
Returned NRT-HNL today. Declared food, got O. Presented slip to agent, who failed to ask any questions and waved us through. Asked him “Aren’t you going to inquire about the O? He said we would be asked after baggage pickup. Duly noted, presented slip as we approched baggage claim exit, showed my IPhone-stored list of all the food we had, and after one clarification question about the preserved plums, the agent waved us through.
Last edited by 747FC; Sep 30, 2018 at 1:38 am Reason: Missed L in HNL
Sep 30, 2018, 1:11 am
#851
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Returned NRT-HN today. Declared food, got O. Presented slip to agent, who failed to ask any questions and waved us through. Asked him “Aren’t you going to inquire about the O? He said we would be asked after baggage pickup. Duly noted, presented slip as we approched baggage claim exit, showed my IPhone-stored list of all the food we had, and after one clarification question about the preserved plums, the agent waved us through.
Sep 30, 2018, 1:37 am
#852
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Hawai'i Nei
Programs: Au: UA, Marriott, Hilton; GE
Posts: 7,133
Sep 30, 2018, 11:35 am
#853
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 278
Looked like SFO changed the immigration and customs flow somewhat (at least for international terminal G arrival). You no longer have to hand over the declaration form before exiting the customs after luggage carousels.
In addition, I was using GE kiosk and delcared food, and the immigration official grilled me and asked me what I need to declare since I answered food as what I have always done before, no automatic wave like before. He even said I should always have a written I-94 ready in case the GE kiosks weren't working. Looks like they are doing both immigration and customs duties now, and the attitude this time was horrible, but I wasn't going to argue my way out so I just said I will keep that in mind next time.
I don't know what to think of SFO now.
In addition, I was using GE kiosk and delcared food, and the immigration official grilled me and asked me what I need to declare since I answered food as what I have always done before, no automatic wave like before. He even said I should always have a written I-94 ready in case the GE kiosks weren't working. Looks like they are doing both immigration and customs duties now, and the attitude this time was horrible, but I wasn't going to argue my way out so I just said I will keep that in mind next time.
I don't know what to think of SFO now.
Oct 4, 2018, 4:18 pm
#854
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: DCA/PHL and sometimes HKG
Programs: CX Silver
Posts: 216
I have been much less lucky when declaring "food" and am regularly sent to agricultural inspection. This happened last week when declaring chocolate from Mexico, but happens to me with some regularity over the past 18 months. I asked two different officers in Philadelphia last week, both of whom said that, yes, I should be declaring chocolate or processed nuts or whatever.
