UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Travel Allowances

Overview

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

Hotline +1-202-325-8000 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, available)

The following goods can be imported duty-free into the U.S. by travelers over the age of 21:

  • 200 cigarettes and 100 cigars.
  • 1L of alcoholic beverage.
  • Goods up to the value of US$800 for returningresidents who have been out of the country for at least 48 hours and have made the trip once in every 31 days.
  • Goods up to $100 in value for non-residents.

Restricted imports that require special permits from a federal agency include but are not limited to the following:

  • Textiles and clothing exceeding your personal exemption
  • Fish & wildlife
  • Bushmeat and any products containing meat
  • Drug paraphernalia
  • Narcotics and drugs with a high potential for abuse, such as Rohypnol.
  • Cultural artifacts and cultural property
  • Merchandise from embargoed countries such as Cuba, Iran, Myanmar and Sudan
  • Defense articles or items with military or proliferation applications
  • Firearms
  • Game and hunting trophies
  • Haitian animal hide drums
  • Biological specimens

Exceeded the exemption

  • The flat duty rate (3%) will apply to articles that are dutiable but that cannot be included in your personal exemption, even if you have not exceeded the exemption.
  • A joint declaration is a Customs declaration that can be made by family members who live in the same household and return to the United States together. These travelers can combine their purchases to take advantage of a combined flat duty rate, no matter which family member owns a given item. The combined value of merchandise subject to a flat duty rate for a family of four traveling together would be $4,000.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

Hotline +1-202-325-8000 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, available)

For more information, see U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Prohibited Imports

The United States Customs and Borders Protection has many prohibeted and restricted items.

Prohibited imports include but are not limited to the following:

  • Products that infringe trademark rights or copyrighted articles
  • Almost all fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables
  • Absinthe
  • Certain plants, cuttings and seeds
  • Dog and cut fur
  • Gold coins, unless they are properly marked by country of issuance
  • Gold and gold products originating in or coming from Cuba, Iran, Myanmar and most of Sudan
  • Prohibited Pornography

Prohibited Exports

Weapons and drugs.

The US Customs and Border Protection regularly updates the list of prohibited and restricted imports. Check out their site (www.cbp.gov/travel) for the latest information.

No responsibility can be taken for the accuracy of the information on the travel reimbursements of the United States of America.