Consumption and Real Estate
Bringing alcohol through US customs?
Question : Bringing alcohol through US customs?
Ive have been talking to my friend who is currently in China as of now, she is over there on vacation and she has some Chinese Beer, she is coming back home tomorrow, she is an American citizen, white too if that matters. Would she be able to bring the alcohol back from China and get through US customs in Chicago?
chicago custom homes
Best answer:
Answer by Karen
honestly it depends on the flight. She should check in the airline guidelines
-
-
#2 written by Roger K 1 year ago
It does not depend on the flight – the rules are Federal Customs rules, not airline rules.
Yes she can bring back alcohol. There are quantity limits over which she would pay some duty or tax, but that is probably not going to be a lot.This page from the Customs and Border Patrol web sites talks about importing alcohol: http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/paying_duty.xml
Among other things it says:
= = = = = = =
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.
While federal regulations do not specify a limit on the amount of alcohol you may bring back for personal use, unusual quantities are liable to raise suspicions that you are importing the alcohol for other purposes, such as for resale. CBP officers are authorized by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to make on-the-spot determinations that an importation is for commercial purposes, and may require you to obtain a permit to import the alcohol before releasing it to you. If you intend to bring back a substantial quantity of alcohol for your personal use, you should contact the port through which you will be re-entering the country, and make prior arrangements for entering the alcohol into the United States.
Also, you should be aware that state laws might limit the amount of alcohol you can bring in without a license. If you arrive in a state that has limitations on the amount of alcohol you may bring in without a license, that state law will be enforced by CBP, even though it may be more restrictive than federal regulations. We recommend that you check with the state government before you go abroad about their limitations on quantities allowed for personal importation and additional state taxes that might apply.
= = = = = = = - Comment Feed for this Post
Roger’s answer is complete and he should get a best answer. Pay particular attention to the restrictions though. If your friend is not at least 21, she cannot bring alcohol into the US legally.