Cuba cracks down on goods in luggage.....

[Bartolomeo]

http://news.yahoo.com/cuba-cracks-down-goods-travelers-luggage-040932495--finance.html

[Maplepie]

That's *****...... I wonder why the Cuban government is deciding to turn away free stuff.

Cheers for sharing Ry. Hope we can discuss motives here long enough to brainstorm ideas before it gets TOO political.

Edited September 15, 2014 by bundwallah
For language and content. OP PM'd

[Ryan]

Customs at the airport won't turn anything away.

It'll be taxed more.

Like a lot of these things, it was going fine until a few people went too far.

People got in shoes for their extended family for the year etc. fine. Lots of examples of that.

People were able to keep small businesses going with with tax free goods brought in through the airport. While that is illegal in just about every country in the world, this is Cuba, people do what they need to eat. Fine.

Then there were guys with, for example, the 44 flat screen TVs and 60 computer monitors in one year.

Customs at any point of entry in the world would sit up and take notice at those numbers.

They've reduced the tax-free limits. People can still bring in whatever they want (as long as it's legal) but might have to pay tax on it.

Also, this is directed at Cubans and Cuban-Americans flying into Terminal 2 at Jose Marti.

I would be very surprised if anybody notices any change whatsoever at Terminal 3 where the vast majority of international airlines land and depart.

[tmac77]

Will not be an issue for us Jeremy.

That's *****...... I wonder why the Cuban government is deciding to turn away free stuff.

Cheers for sharing Ry. Hope we can discuss motives here long enough to brainstorm ideas before it gets TOO political.

[Bartolomeo]

Customs at the airport won't turn anything away.

It'll be taxed more.

Like a lot of these things, it was going fine until a few people went too far.

People got in shoes for their extended family for the year etc. fine. Lots of examples of that.

People were able to keep small businesses going with with tax free goods brought in through the airport. While that is illegal in just about every country in the world, this is Cuba, people do what they need to eat. Fine.

Then there were guys with, for example, the 44 flat screen TVs and 60 computer monitors in one year.

Customs at any point of entry in the world would sit up and take notice at those numbers.

They've reduced the tax-free limits. People can still bring in whatever they want (as long as it's legal) but might have to pay tax on it.

Also, this is directed at Cubans and Cuban-Americans flying into Terminal 2 at Jose Marti.

I would be very surprised if anybody notices any change whatsoever at Terminal 3 where the vast majority of international airlines land and depart.

When I was there in May it was crazy what I saw, tractor tires, large screen plasmas, 6 foot lamps, cribs, bicycles, artificial Christmas tree, bed pillows, auto parts, and then the stuff you would expect....clothes, food, medicine....It was eye opening and sad at the same time

[Ryan]

When I was there in May it was crazy what I saw, tractor tires, large screen plasmas, 6 foot lamps, cribs, bicycles, artificial Christmas tree, bed pillows, auto parts, and then the stuff you would expect....clothes, food, medicine....It was eye opening and sad at the same time

If you flew from the US you probably arrived in Terminal 2 with lots of Cubans. I've never flown into that terminal but I've seen lots of that type of thing just outside the airport. Bizarre amounts of stuff.

[Bartolomeo]

If you flew from the US you probably arrived in Terminal 2 with lots of Cubans. I've never flown into that terminal but I've seen lots of that type of thing just outside the airport. Bizarre amounts of stuff.

I think it was

Here is a pic from the night before getting some stuff wrapped up before heading South