Buying local rums

On January, 5 I'll be boarding another wonderful sailing to the wonderful Caribbean. On previous sailings, I've learned to appreciate rums. Starting of with easy ones, slowly drinking more and more complex ones.

I want to bring some bottles back home, but I'm having some questions regarding this.

After our cruise, our ship docks back in Fort Lauderdale and I'm staying 1 night before my flight back home to Belgium. I've looked it up at work, and one can only import, and I quote: "persons of 21 years or older: 1 US quart of alcoholic beverages . For arrivals from the US Virgin Islands, Guam or American Samoa: 1 US gallon, not more than 1 quart of which may be acquired elsewhere than on these islands." endquote

This applies to both residents and non-residents. But on my previous cruise, I saw people buying a lot more than this quantity at distiliries.

I know how to read to Timatic info (the bible of immigration rules for passports, import/export, etc.) very well as I use it at work on a daily basis.

But 1 quart seems very little, no? So I was wondering, does customs checks disembarking guests, if I keep all bottles in my handbag and switch them back to my checked-in bag the night before my flight. I want to bring at least 3-4 bottles...

Thanks in advance, folks!

Here was my experience:

When I filled out my customs form I declared the total amount of liquor. There existed a provision to waiver any duties under $10.

The duty or tax on liquor is $2.10 per bottle. I brought back 5 bottles, and duly saw the customs agent. That was where the waiver was explained to me. She mad a notation on my customs form and that was it.

If you are going with a partner, you can each bring in one bottle duty free. leaving duty on only 3 bottles.

In April, I went through customs at the Port of Los Angeles, but just put down liquor, along with other items on the form. I was questioned about how much, and I said two and a half litres, which was true. The agent just laughed and waved me through.

BUT, I would suggest declaring the amount on the customs form.

Thanks for the quick info. Working at an airport, I know it's a no-no to make false claims on those forms. I even declare cookies when I enter ;-)

I'm travelling solo, but thanks for that info. I didn't know about the waiver.

Thank you for the quick and informative post :-)

they will be far more likely to waive the fee or charge less if you declare everything than if you try and under report.

What you are suggesting is considered smuggling, and if it's discovered it may subject you to criminal prosecution (possible), significant fines (likely), and forfeiture of your rum (probable).

I would suggest a different idea: declare all your rum. The one-liter limit (actually slightly more than a US quart) is how much you can import duty-free; not the total amount you can import. If you declare all of it, you may have to pay a small amount of import duty. The customs inspector may choose not to charge the duty, as the cost to customs for the transaction is likely to exceed the duty amount. It's been a while since I brought alcohol into the USA, but when I asked a customs agent on my way out of the country, he said that it was the policy of customs office at my airport to waive fees on alcohol imported in personal luggage. It just wasn't worth the time and paperwork.

While the personal exemption is for one liter of liquor, the duty charge will be calculated based on the actual amount of alcohol, not the quantity of rum. According to the Customs website, it is less than two US dollars for a typical bottle of liquor: $1.32 per half-liter of alcohol (typically about 1.25 liters of rum, although some rums can be more than 75% alcohol). You may also be charged a similarly small amount of US federal excise tax.

I would suggest that the possibility of being charged a small amount of import duty and excise tax may be far preferable to risking the consequences of smuggling. Especially if you're choosing high quality rum, the import charges will be minimal compared to the price of the rum. And for a small amount, there's a good chance that you will not be charged any import duty.

I would also suggest that, before you cruise, you make a telephone call to the local US Customs office in your port of arrival, and ask them about it. That's how I found out that my local airport customs office would not even bother to charge duty on the 10 liters of beer I used to import when returning from business trips to Germany, but they stressed that I was still required to declare it. In recent years, there have been other restrictions on liquids in airline luggage, so I no longer bring beverages into the USA by air travel, but those restrictions don't apply to cruise ships.

If you plan to import more than 12 bottles, you may trigger additional enquiries as to whether you are importing liquor for commercial purposes other than personal consumption. A telephone call to the Customs Office in Fort Lauderdale can also resolve this question.

When you disembark the ship, US customs and immigration ask if you have anything that you will be leaving in the US. Since you are taking it all home, they will have no interest in the amount of liquor you have with you.

So, the question is, 'how much can you bring back into Belgium'?

Just make sure that you read the customs form carefully and fill it out correctly.

The limits you reference are duty-free limits, not hard caps. Declare what you bring and your duty will be small or waived altogether.

The bigger issue may be your flight home. You won't be able to carry any of your purchases through security to board the plane and glass is fragile. I'd make sure to securely protect your purchases in your checked bags and be prepared to have rum-soaked clothing. It happens.

Since you are taking it all home, they will have no interest in the amount of liquor you have with you.

I don't think this is accurate; I think it's bad advice.

 

So, the question is, 'how much can you bring back into Belgium'?

 

That was my immediate thought too.

The allowance for spirits over 22% proof into Belgium from a non-EU country is surely just one litre per adult (or two litres if under 22% proof such as a weak rum punch), the same as other EU countries. That's confirmed on a couple of websites that I checked.

Duty is payable on any excess - that normally makes it uneconomical, tho' if the OP specifically wants a given brand that isn't available in Belgium they may be willing to pay over the top.

Which probably makes the US allowance irrelevant to the OP.

JB :)

I don't think this is accurate; I think it's bad advice.

The customs form does specifically ask for the value of items that you will be leaving in the USA. They know that you are 'in transit', on your way home.

There are different questions for US residents.

A non-resident in transit through the USA may have a larger duty-free allowance (it was four liters of alcoholic beverages, some years ago, but I don't know the current rule).

But non-residents in transit are still required to make a full declaration.

Hi,

It seems to me that although a lot of good advice is being given the best thing to do would be ask the question of US Customs direct. If you do please post the answer.

Pete

I think this link will take you to a copy of the customs declarations form.

Hope the link works.:)

http://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/documents/CBP%20Form%206059B%20English%20%28Fillable%29_0.pdf