flying internationally with cigars

[HK3-]

I just got back from Jamaica yesterday. I didn't take any cigars with me.... dumb idea on my part. 98% of the CC's sold there are fake and most are beetle infested. I took some good photos of the cigars they were trying to sell me. Ha! I enjoyed looking through all the fakes and hearing "how great they are." The prices were for the real deal but they were definately the shat of the shat. I did smoke a few Jamaican sticks which were really light and not real spectacular in taste. But, they weren't overpriced either.

Snagged two bottles of the rum for home. A reserve and a 12 year. Have a great trip and prepared to be annoyed by the locals when you leave your resort. EVERYONE wants a tip for NOTHING. Yeah Mon!

Have a great trip!

[loki]

Originally Posted by HK3-

I just got back from Jamaica yesterday. I didn't take any cigars with me.... dumb idea on my part. 98% of the CC's sold there are fake and most are beetle infested. I took some good photos of the cigars they were trying to sell me. Ha! I enjoyed looking through all the fakes and hearing "how great they are." The prices were for the real deal but they were definately the shat of the shat. I did smoke a few Jamaican sticks which were really light and not real spectacular in taste. But, they weren't overpriced either.

Snagged two bottles of the rum for home. A reserve and a 12 year. Have a great trip and prepared to be annoyed by the locals when you leave your resort. EVERYONE wants a tip for NOTHING. Yeah Mon!

Have a great trip!

the only off resort thing we're doing is dunns river falls and dolphin cove. I assumed that the cigars would be ****. I'm really excited for the trip...I wonder what the import tax on booze is

[kydsid]

Originally Posted by loki

the only off resort thing we're doing is dunns river falls and dolphin cove. I assumed that the cigars would be ****. I'm really excited for the trip...I wonder what the import tax on booze is

Alcohol is taxed on its percentage of alcohol.

A 80 proof bottle of hard liquor is approx. $2.15.

Beer and wine are different: 12 oz can of beer is $0.05 and wine is approx $0.21 for a 750ml bottle unless it has a really high alcohol content as wine has a tax strata based on content.

There is no Federal limit on the amount of alcohol you may enter the country with. Although if you bring a pallet back Customs might declare you a commercial importer.






Keep in mind you also have to comply with your states requirements. This though is the state at which you make entry into the US. So Florida if you return via Miami International. Most State Alcohol Boards have exemptions for non-residents, but you should make sure. Texas for instance only allows a resident to bring one bottle if using the land border, and some weird one for air travel. Our ABC Board has people on the border crossings, no idea about airports but yet another reason I never enter the country at Houston or Dallas.

[loki]

thanks jason. We're coming back into the us via atlanta

[HK3-]

Originally Posted by loki

thanks jason. We're coming back into the us via atlanta

Just a heads up... they had a new procedure when we flew back into ATL. Once you clear customs and get your bags you must PUT YOUR BOOZE into your luggage (they wont allow you to carry it even if you bought it from the duty free) and hand it over to a guy who you hope will not throw your bag back onto the belt. It is then put on the outside cart where they haul it back to the main terminal (T I believe) and you have to wait again for it on the belt.

Really stupid procedure I thought... I was pretty sure they were going to break my bottles but luckily they did not. I just dont get why they wouldn't let me carry it with me like I did on the plane

[Don Fernando]

yeah, I had that same thing happen at ATL last year too. Bought a bottle of Havana Club at Amsterdam airport, had it in my carry on for the intercontinental flight, but I had to put it in my checked luggage for the flight from ATL to Orlando

[kydsid]

You can thank TSA and the airlines for that one. They can't stop carry on liquids on international flights so they implemented that so that anyone continuing on a domestic flight won't run into problems.

Originally Posted by Don Fernando

yeah, I had that same thing happen at ATL last year too. Bought a bottle of Havana Club at Amsterdam airport, had it in my carry on for the intercontinental flight, but I had to put it in my checked luggage for the flight from ATL to Orlando

Same here though honnestly, noone seemed to care about rum or cigars when we entered the US, they looked for bombs, drugs, agricultural products (even had small dogs sniffing those out, so I asked the handler and told him the dog may smell my cigars, the guy looked at me and asked what country those were from, I said nicaragua and that was it.)