What must you declare at U.S. Customs?

What is customs declaration form?

The form, provided for free, helps you enter items you bring into the U.

S. The goods must be listed by the customs agent and are valued in U. Dollars. You can use the amount already recorded on your baggage to reduce the value of each item or you can add an extra declaration to reduce the duty-free value.

The forms allow you to mark off those items that will go into the United States and those that will not be taken into the country. Items to be shipped or taken into the country carry separate stamps.

Do I need to pay a brokerage fee if I'm doing business? Yes. The bill applies if you have to pay a customs broker to help arrange your shipping, provide services such as translation and provide customs information. The fee must be based on the value of the shipment and any services the broker provides.

Am I able to avoid the duty-free charge when the tariff has been waived on the merchandise? Not unless you want to risk losing the waiver period and having to pay duties on the merchandise. As an incentive to ship more goods, the Customs and Border Protection agency waives some trade fees on electronics. But smaller items have a different rate.

What must you declare at U.S. Customs?

When you travel to the United States, you will be expected to declare any goods that are subject to U.

Customs duty. Even items that are exempt from duty may still be subject to U. Customs rules and regulations. When you fly to the United States, your luggage is inspected by U. Customs officials at the airport.

U. Customs has strict rules for the declaration of merchandise that is purchased in the United States. Some of these rules apply to goods purchased on ships coming from overseas. You can find more information about declaring goods for customs in the guide for travelers.

What you must declare and pay the duty. You are required to declare the value of your U. Purchases at the time of entry. The U. Customs official asks about the value of the goods, the value of any other goods you own, and how many days you plan to stay in the U.

The following items are subject to duty: Foreign goodsexcept food and beverages. Food and beverages are only subject to the food or beverage tariff when imported through ports of entry Merchandise for personal use, such as clothing and electronic equipment, not for resale. If you intend to resell goods, report this to the U. Customs official at the time of entry.

Items that you acquired outside of the United States. Be sure to declare all travel purchases and goods that you acquired outside of the U. Before you fly home. Citizens must pay duty on certain items. If you're not a U. Citizen, you will not have to pay U. You are also not responsible for paying any customs duties that are paid by someone else.

All of these rules and requirements apply to goods that you bring into the U. As well as to goods you bring out of the country. They do not apply to food, medicine, animal and plant products, and medical devices for use in research.

Items that may be exempt. These items are not subject to any U. However, they are not necessarily free of other import duties: Medicine and medical devicesSome items imported under the medical and veterinary exemptions have been subject to specific U. Customs requirements.

Is the U.S. Customs declaration form still required?

Yes, if you are a passenger on an international flight and not leaving the country, you should still fill out an I-502 at the airport.

There is a very good chance that your arrival will be processed in a matter of minutes at the airport; therefore, it's best to spend that time filling out the form at the airport rather than doing so in front of an agent in a foreign land with no way to get to a machine that can print and scan the forms.

What if I am the only person on a flight to one of the countries covered under the U.S.-VISIT program?

You should still get your I-502 form filled out at the airport in the city you plan to arrive at. You may be able to get this done at the first port of entry you reach, but because there is no way to know where you will end up and in what order your papers will be processed, it would better to avoid having an agent review and sign your papers just for the sake of it.

I will be traveling with more than one person to a country covered under the U. Do we all need to fill out a separate form or can my partner simply sign my customs declaration? If you are traveling with others and they have already gone through Customs and cleared security and are ready to leave the airport, the other passengers do not need to fill out an I-502 form. The only person who needs to fill out a separate form is the person on the flight who is leaving the country.

However, if the remaining passengers are not cleared to leave the airport before me, you may need to fill out a separate form for each person traveling in your party. You are clearing out of the U., can I bring my firearm through security? If you are passing through Customs on an international flight, firearms are not allowed in any checked baggage and you may not bring them on board. These are the same rules that apply to a domestic flight. If you are flying into the U. From another country, however, you may be able to bring your firearm in as an unchecked bag.

Do I have to pay to have my I-502 form checked and cleared? No, you should not have to pay for checking and clearing. If you are traveling to Canada from the U.