Inadmissible Customs Items Part 2

Welcome to our “Customs With Katy!” blog feature, where we focus on customs-related topics, brought to you by none other than Phillips’ very own Move Coordinator, Katy Duncan! Whether relocating by vehicle or by flight, border officials will not permit certain (groups of) items to cross the border with you. In the second part of this two-part post, we’ll walk you through what the final three groups of inadmissible customs items are, as well as the steps you can take to avoid having to part with them unintentionally:

When moving to and from the USA, keep in mind that some items should not be included in your shipment for transit. The following items will have your shipment seized at the border and will incur extra charges to you as the shipper:

4. Articles for sale or commercial use – commercial goods can be moved, although, they will not be shipped as household goods. Please contact us to find out more.

5. Alcoholic articles of all types or tobacco products – gift your friends with your leftover alcohol, bring it in your own vehicle, or use it when hosting your goodbye party (which we suggested in part 1). If you have very large wine and/or spirit collections, please let your sales consultant know and we will be able to assist you with moving large quantities via third party.

6. Fish, wildlife, and animal products thereof – this includes taxidermy animals, hunting trophies, and antlers.

If you do wish to bring any of the above items with you for your relocation, it is suggested that you keep them on your person, whether you decide to travel in your personal vehicle or store them in your carryon luggage for air travel. Customs officers will examine, dispose of, or charge duties when and where they see fit to do so, so prepare accordingly.

To review: Be sure to include these inadmissible customs items in your final checklist (and understand the caveats) before relocating so that resources are not wasted unnecessarily. If you missed it, don’t forget to review Part 1 of this post to find out what the first three groups of items were. For additional customs tips, we also recommend that you routinely check our bi-weekly news updates.

As always, until next time, stay safe and stay customs compliant!