Timeline for Travel with company swag - Will TSA/Customs have a problem?
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
11 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| May 29 at 14:23 | comment | added | phoog | @jcaron indeed, thank you for clarifying. I should have said "everything you as a visitor plan to leave in the US," and I probably should not have used the residents' $800 exemption in the example. A better example might have been a $20 box of chocolate being brought as a gift for a friend you're staying with, which is clearly below the $100 limit and yet must be declared. | |
| May 28 at 16:35 | comment | added | jcaron | @phoog To clarify, only items that visitors intend to leave in the US, or items that residents bought abroad to bring to the US should be declared. Personal effects that visitors will take back with them, or that US residents brought abroad and back, should not be listed. | |
| May 28 at 16:16 | comment | added | phoog | Furthermore, everything must be declared, even if it is subject to the exemption. If you have an $800 exemption and return with a $600 item, you are supposed to declare it, even though it is clearly below the exemption limit, whereupon they say "welcome home." | |
| May 28 at 16:11 | comment | added | phoog | @MikeM the alternative is to buy swag in the US for distribution in the US that was commercially imported and therefore has had any import tariff paid. In theory, you shouldn't be able to avoid paying the tariff (if any) by carrying it in like this. As noted, it's quite possible that customs would decline to collect the tariff due, especially if it is small, but willful or negligent failure to declare is a felony and also exposes the traveler to potential civil penalties. Gifts for your family and friends are personal. Gifts carried on behalf of your employer for its employees are not. | |
| May 28 at 16:04 | comment | added | phoog | I have not filled out a US customs form in many years, though I've never used one of those kiosks. The first few times after this change, the passport inspectors asked verbally for a declaration, but that hasn't happened to me for a few years either. | |
| May 28 at 16:01 | history | edited | phoog | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
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| May 28 at 11:28 | history | edited | jcaron | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
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| May 28 at 11:26 | comment | added | jcaron | @MikeM the form further explains "(articles for sale, samples used for soliciting orders, or goods that are not considered personal effects)", so I would posit that they are commercial merchandise. Maybe the customs officer will just ignore them and wave OP through, but better err on the side of caution (especially as we have no idea how many OP intends to bring, or their actual value). But in general, anything brought in multiples and not obviously used and/or personal effects (e.g. 10 pairs of socks) will be deemed commercial merchandise. | |
| May 28 at 11:15 | comment | added | Mike M | We might ask though --- are such small gifts really "commercial" if they are just for enjoyment and not related to the products or services of the business? The OP here doesn't say, but if we assume their business has nothing to do with smartphone stands, are they really "commercial" or just bulk gifts, neither for sale nor product samples ? | |
| May 27 at 10:51 | history | edited | jcaron | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
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| May 27 at 10:45 | history | answered | jcaron | CC BY-SA 4.0 |