To Declare or Not To Declare? (US Customs)
 

Hi, I am going to be in NYC for a long transit (EZE-NYC-MXP) during which I plan to go to the city for a few hours. I want to bring some medicines namely Unisom and Immodium with me, do I have to declare them? I know it may be better to buy them there but I will have a trip in Argentina first before the layover in NYC. Also it says in the declaration form:

[If you are a visitor (non-U.S. Resident), print the total value of all goods (including commercial merchandise) you or any family members traveling with you are bringing into the United States and will remain in the United States.]

I am planning to buy some wines from Argentina and bring them to Italy (which has a rather generous duty free quota for wine), since they won't stay in the US, do I have to declare?

Lastly, since I am not staying in any hotel in NYC, do I have to put down an address in the US in the form? Or it's better to put down any hotel's name to save trouble?

Thanks!

Personally, I wouldn't declare Unisom (which can be either doxylamine or diphenhydramine) or Imodium (loperamide), but others might have different/better advice.

My guess is no. Certainly that is the logical response given the wording of the form.

Don't lie. I would put "IN TRANSIT" on the relevant part of the form. If you're really staying for only a few hours, that shouldn't cause any problems.

Wine and other alcohol needs to be declared based on how much you have, not just the value of it. So yes, you should declare the wine if it's over one liter or whatever the exemption is.

Most likely they will just waive you through but to me it's a case of two choices.

You declare it, explain you are just checking your bag as soon as you get past them and connecting through to Italy and they say OK

or

They find it, and you did not declare it.

To me one of those is a much better alternative than the other.

I've never declared immodium (and it is part of my standard travel first aid kit, so has been with me many many times to the US. As you can buy it there without prescription, I don't know why it would be a problem). The other drug I am not familiar with.

Wine you need to declare it, as alcohol has its own rules, but I would tell them if asked that it is in transit with you (not sure if they will take this into consideration, but worth mentioning) but you may have to pay duty on it, at a guess.

Address in the US - in transit, as others have said.

Unisom is a non-prescription sleep aid (one type has the same active ingredient as Benadryl). No need to declare it.

how long is the layover?....you should be able to check your bags thru & only consider declaring what is in your carry on....no need to declare anything you buy in nyc, but you will have to go thru security, so be aware of the liquid/gal rules...

Quote highlighted in red above is incorrect.

Even with checked through bags on intl to intl transit at US airports you need to clear US Customs before putting them on the onward baggage transfer belt.

For the blue form: Address in US "IN TRANSIT" unless you are staying somewhere overnight then "OVERNIGHT TRANSIT, name of hotel"

Declare wine/spirit tobacco verbally and state that they are going onward with you. Have onward boarding pass or itinerary printout for CBP agent. There will be an US TSA security check even for transiting passengers - Make sure the wine is in check baggage.

Both medication are OTC at US pharmacy, not a must declare controlled substance.

+1

Surely the part I have highlighted in red would apply?

As you will only be in transit, presumably nothing you are bringing will remain in the United States.

I would put "In Transit"on the form. I certainly would not put the name of a hotel if I was not staying at one. That is more likely to lead to problems.

Have your onward ticket to show, to prove that you are just in transit. Once, I put the flight number of the onward flight in this box (NZ113, for example). Once I had shown my ticket, that was accepted as OK.

Right, If you have a medication from the doctor and you don't have to declare it. I have dexedrine, Lozava, risperidone, Paroxetine and etc. Only that I still allowed to bring the medication into foreign country, but, I never have any problem at all.

Yes it applies

No it does not apply to liquor. It doesn't matter if it's staying in the US or not, it has to be declared when you enter.

The value of your goods has nothing to do with declaring liquor. Anything over a liter needs to be declared, no matter what the value of your goods are.

I believe you, of course, but can you provide a link to where it says that?

Is there a standard amount on which duty is not levied?

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/190/kw/declaring%20alcohol

According to this, one liter is the amount over which you may be charged.

OK: I followed this link and it says nothing that applies to a non-resident of the US, who is only in transit through the US and who is taking all his goods onward with him, into another country.

I quote:
Generally, one liter of alcohol per person may be entered into the U.S. duty-free by travelers who are 21 or older, although travelers coming from the U.S. Virgin Islands or other Caribbean countries are entitled to more. Additional quantities may be entered, although they will be subject to duty and Federal excise taxes, which will be assessed and collected at the port of entry.

Alcoholic beverages purchased in duty-free shops are subject to duty and federal excise tax when accompanying you into the United States. Note: Federal excise tax rates are for informational purposes only as actual tax or fee may vary according to a person's circumstances.

Most States restrictions on the amount of alcohol that can be brought into that State apply only to residents of that State. Usually people transiting a state are not subject to those restrictions . . .

Nothing there would convince me that alcohol in transit through the US is dutiable by the US.

Customs doesn't know what you are going to do with your luggage or belongings once you clear. To be more specific, once you pass the final customs officer, that is the last contact they will have with you. There is no customs officer at the baggage re-check watching to see if people re-check their luggage or not. Someone could very easily claim they were in transit, and then leave the airport with their luggage and never return. So everything must be declared as if it were entering the US, which it is.