This is what I%26#39;ve found off the tsa%26#39;s website:
Carrying Alcohol In Your Checked Baggage
%26quot;Please note, you can’t take alcoholic beverages with more than 70% alcohol content (140 proof), including 95% grain alcohol and 150 proof rum, in your checked luggage.
You may take up to five liters of alcohol with alcohol content between 24% and 70% per person as checked luggage if it’s packaged in a sealable bottle or flask.
Alcoholic beverages with less than 24% alcohol content are not subject to hazardous materials regulations.%26quot;
So, to translate, does that mean about 2 bottles per person, or am I totally off here?
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A complex question... The TSA rule means that you can bring back as much wine as you can pack in that suitcase or crate (unless it%26#39;s stronger than 24% which is unlikely). But the TSA only cares about the hazard.
The restriction you have to think about is U.S. customs/duty. Only ONE liter is exempt from duty, so you are supposed to declare anything in excess of that and pay taxes or face confiscation.
I have no idea what the tax rate would be, and tried to find it, but that%26#39;s the law.
J
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Nearly all wines have an alcohol content of less than 24%. The alcohol content is included on the printed label.
Theoretically, you can bring back as much wine as you want for your personal consumption/gifts.
But, you need to check the Homeland Security website for regulations regarding paying duty. Only one liter of alcohol is excempt from duty (though family members can combine).
You also need to know the regulations for the state where you are reentering the USA regarding quantity restrictions and State taxes that might apply.
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Generally, the duty is much less than you think it would be. It shouldn%26#39;t even be a consideration if you are thinking of bringing wine back.
Also, the wine you drink in Paris never tastes as good when you bring it back.
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Some clarification is in order here.
When you bring things back from outside the US, you are actually dealing with three different agencies.
The hazardous material regulations are under the auspices of IATA (International Air Transport Association) an international agency that governs the air transport of dangerous goods (anything dangerous). TSA has nothing to do with these regulations, although they do have the power to cite someone if they see that the regulations have been infringed upon. So...the limit on liquids over 24% alcohol is because these products are volatile in the case of a fire. (god forbid) Customs has absolutely nothing to do with this one, either.
What you pay in duty then falls under US Customs and Border Patrol -- which is, in turn, a part of the Department of Commerce. They administer and collect tariffs on the international movement of goods. Import duties on wine is THEIR bailiwick. As mentioned, the duty on wine is pretty small -- but do yourself a favor and declare it ALL. You have to bring in a boatload of wine to even pay US$10 in duties.
Now...protecting the safety (cough) of travelers transiting into, out of, or through US airspace is then the territory of TSA. They%26#39;re the ones who search your luggage in US airports, etc., etc. They actually got IATA (see 1st paragraph above) to adopt the regulations about carryon luggage and the 3 oz container rule. Yes, you have THEM to thank.
SO...you then have three different places to look for all of this -- bottom line is, you won%26#39;t have to pay duty on two bottles of higher-alcohol beverages (this would be Calvados, eau de vie, cognac, and the like) because the quantity is too small. They will, however, confiscate anything over the 2 x 750 ml bottles that you pack.
Wine, as mentioned above, is below the 24% alcohol threshold, so you%26#39;re limited by what you can carry, what you want to pay extra baggage fees on, and the trifling duties that would be charged.
And yes, wine brought back does taste as good, and makes for a wonderful reminder of your time in France -- and if you lose a bottle in the back of your closet for a few years (not that I know anyone who%26#39;s done that...ahem) it can taste even better.
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So taxes and duty aside, can I bring back one or two bottles of wine in my checked luggage?! I don%26#39;t mean to be complicated and I will drink it in happy memory toasting all of you!!
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%26gt;%26gt; They will, however, confiscate anything over the 2 x 750 ml bottles that you pack. %26lt;%26lt;
Huh?
I think you missspoke there.
No one on your list of 3 will confiscate excess hard liqour under 5 liters.
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We routinely bring back 2 bottles from Mexico and Europe in checked bags.....I would jsut bring some bubble wrap and tape with you to up your chances of making it home without wine all over your clothes! In the end, there isn%26#39;t anything you cannot get here in the US that is sold in France, with the exception of maybe some rare bottles, but it does taste better to me at home knowing I carried that bottle all the way from __________________.
Sean
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You might be able to get the same TYPE of wine (and even that%26#39;s iffy), but you absolutely cannot buy every label you find in France from a wine shop in the US. Many vineyards simply don%26#39;t produce enough to be able to support an export market, and after you pay the markup for the exporter%26#39;s agent, the importer, and the retailer, plus taxes and duties and freight -- you%26#39;re at 3-4 times the price you would have paid in France.
Prior question was correct -- it%26#39;s 5 litres of hard alcohol -- a typical bottle is 750ml, so that%26#39;s quite a lot!
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%26lt;%26lt;When you bring things back from outside the US, you are actually dealing with three different agencies%26gt;%26gt;
Sunshines post is very informative, however it excludes other agencies which may be even more important or restrictive when carrying alcohol into the US.
From the US Treasury website:
%26quot;You should also be aware that state laws might limit the amount of alcohol that may be brought into the state without a license. If you arrive in a state that has limitations on the amount of alcohol you may bring in without a license, that state law will be enforced by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, even though this may be more restrictive than federal regulations. We recommend that you check with the state government before you go abroad about their limitations on quantities allowed for personal importation and additional state taxes that might apply.%26quot;
In other words if you clear customs in a state having more restrictive liquor laws than those of U.S. Customs, Customs will enforce the state%26#39;s limits upon arriving passengers. If you are carrying wine into the US and your port of entry is CVG (Cincinnati), upon your arrival you will be subject to the liquor laws of Kentucky (which is where the Cincinnati airport is located).
I don%26#39;t think that anyone carrying a bottle or two will be in violation of any state liquor laws.
%26lt;%26lt;there isn%26#39;t anything you cannot get here in the US that is sold in France,%26gt;%26gt;
This is absolutely the truth.
Sure there are scores of Champagne producers who do not export into the US, but is drinking Perrier-Jouët really making that great of a sacrifice?
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My point is that buying something mass-produced from a shelf is technically buying the same thing.
Buying something that is made in small quantities by a family business -- when you%26#39;ve sat and chatted with the folks who made it (just as their families have done for generations) -- is an entirely different matter.
Anyone can buy a bottle of wine off of a shelf.
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