US Customs Regulations

US Customs regulations are enforced by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), a federal law enforcement agency charged with inspecting and clearing agricultural items, and and collecting US customs duties. CBP is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security.

When you return to the US from a trip to Europe, you will need to go through the CBP inspection procedures at the first US airport you land at (even if it is not your final destination) before you can legally reenter the US.

There are some things that you can do before you leave on your trip to make this process easier. (These are not necessary for reentry but may be worth the effort if you travel to Europe frequently.):

• Register your dutiable personal articles (cameras, laptops, etc) before you leave the US. If your laptop computer was made in Japan—for instance—you might have to pay duty on it each time you bring it back into the United States, unless you could prove that you owned it before you left on your trip.

  Documents that fully describe the item—such as sales receipts, insurance policies, or jeweler's appraisals—are acceptable forms of proof.

  To make things easier, you can register certain items with CBP before you depart— including watches, cameras, laptop computers, firearms, and CD players—as long as they have serial numbers or other unique, permanent markings.

  Take the items to the nearest CBP office and request a Certificate of Registration for Personal Effects Taken Abroad (CBP Form 4457). It shows that you had the items with you before leaving the United States and all items listed on it will be allowed duty-free entry.

  CBP officers must see the item you are registering in order to certify the certificate of registration. You can also register items with CBP at the international airport from which you’re departing. Keep the certificate for future trips.
  

  The Certificate of Registration" (CBP Form 4457) provides proof of article ownership and therefore may prove that the article is exempt from customs duties when you return.



(You should register articles that have been purchased in the last 6 months)
• Enroll in the Global Entry Program. This program has the following benefits:
• Bypass the traditional passport control line.
• No more filling out paper US customs forms.
• Expedited exit process.
• Mutual benefits with other countries.
• Conveniently located at airports throughout the country.
• Cross the border with a minimum of customs and immigration questioning.
• Although this program is intended for frequent travelers, there is no minimum number of trips that must be completed.

(There is a fee associated with this program.)



Preparing to Return to the United States

When you return, you will need to declare everything you brought back that you did not take with you when you left the United States. You may be asked to fill out US Customs forms. You will probably find it easier and faster to fill out your declaration form and clear CBP if you do the following:
• Keep your sales slips.
• Try to pack the things you’ll need to declare separately.
• Read the signs in the arrival area.



Returning to the US

CBP Inspection Process

US Customs regulations and procedures consist of ensuring that you are entering the country legally, with valid travel documents, and that you declare all the items bought or received abroad. There are three components to this process: Immigration, Customs, and Agriculture.



Specific US Customs Regulations

• Restricted/Prohibited Goods

US Customs regulations prohibit you from bringing certain products into the United States. The products CBP prevents from entering the United States are those that would injure community health, public safety, American workers, children, or domestic plant and animal life, or those that would defeat our national interests.

Sometimes the products that cause injury, or have the potential to do so, may seem fairly innocent.

List of Prohibited and Restricted Goods





• Bringing Agricultural Products Into the United States






Certain items brought into the United States from foreign countries are restricted according to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations.

Prohibited agricultural items can harbor foreign animal and plant pests and diseases that could seriously damage America’s crops, livestock, pets, and the environment – and a large sector of our country’s economy.



• Determining and Paying US Customs Duty

US Customs regulations establish rates and procedures for paying duty. Duty is the amount of money you pay on items coming from another country. It is similar to a tax, except that duty is collected only on imported goods.

Dutiable describes items on which duty may have to be paid. Most items have specific duty rates, which are determined by a number of factors, including where you got the item, where it was made and what it is made of.

Also, anything you bring back that you did not have when you left the United States must be “declared.” For example, you would declare alterations made in a foreign country to a suit you already owned, and any gifts you acquired overseas.



• Sending Items Back to the United States


Unaccompanied baggage is anything you do not bring back with you. These may be items that were with you when you left the United States or items that you acquired (received by any means) while outside the United States.

In general, unaccompanied baggage falls into three categories: U.S. mail, express shipments and freight.

Shipping through the U.S. mail, including parcel post, is a cost-efficient way to send items to the United States. The U.S. Postal Service sends all foreign mail shipments to CBP for examination.

CBP officers then return packages that do not require duty to the U.S. Postal Service, which sends them to a local post office for delivery. The local post office delivers them without charging any additional postage, handling costs or other fees.




It is important to understand and obey US Customs Regulations.




For the most up-to-date information go to the CBP website.


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