USA / customs limits

[pdxcigarguy]

I have been doing research and cannot find a clear answer. How many cigars can a US citizen bring back from Cuba to USA while on a vacation trip?

I have found varying numbers. The most recent information I can find is 100 cigars.

Thanks 

[luv2fly]

You can bring back up to 100 duty free from anywhere not just Cuba.  Duty would apply to overage but I do not recall anyone being hit with a duty.  I think I read that it is $0.40 per cigar that is over the limit but cant be sure.

I think the real issue would be if you had to convince them that, for example, 400 cigars is for personal use.  Lots of people have gone over and I don't think they had any issues.

Look carefully through the threads in this section.  People have discussed their experiences.

Here is an older thread I found:

 

 

[Charltonc]

.40 cents per cigar over a hundred. I just told them I smoke 25 cigars a week and told them I had a problem. They laughed and this has happened to me twice. Count out your number of cigars before hand so they don't have to count them and bring cash to pay duty.

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[JY0]

I’m on a ship tonight heading to Cuba for 8 days out of Miami. We booked our cruise during Obama’s thaw so we are under those looser rules.  We can bring back whatever we want duty free up to $800 per person. After that we have to pay the duty but there are no limits for personal use.  We can also go off on our own...no need to stay with a tour group. We booked our own events locally in Havana, You can’t do that if you booked after June of last year. Unbranded cigars are limited to 100.  

I hope to test the limits and will report back. 

[Charltonc]

I’m on a ship tonight heading to Cuba for 8 days out of Miami. We booked our cruise during Obama’s thaw so we are under those looser rules.  We can bring back whatever we want duty free up to $800 per person. After that we have to pay the duty but there are no limits for personal use.  We can also go off on our own...no need to stay with a tour group. We booked our own events locally in Havana, You can’t do that if you booked after June of last year. Unbranded cigars are limited to 100.  
I hope to test the limits and will report back. 

100 cigars is limit doesn't matter value. Pay duty on over 100 cigars banded or unbanded. At least that's was customs told me twice in Tampa. Miami is a little more lax from my experience.

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[luckme10]

don't forget to get a receipt 

[Louribal]

Just came back from Cuba! Brought with me 8 boxes and 50 customs. Had a factura with me just in case they asked for it, glad thing I did. Showed them and they let me go. No problems coming into the US. They asked me how many I had and welcomed me back home. Stock was okay but barely no Cohiba’s and no LE’s.

Oh well, maybe better luck next time.

[JY0]

Plenty of Cohiba in LCDH - Santiago de Cuba today but no LE’s. Cienfuego tomorrow. 

 

What are the limits on rum?

[JY0]

Plenty of stock at LCDH in Cienfuego including HU SW and PC. They also had a couple of boxes of Cohiba Talisman’s at $331 a box. The only thing on my list I haven’t found is PLPC’s. A sea day tomorrow and then two days in Havana. 

[GotaCohiba]

34 minutes ago, JY0 said:

Plenty of stock at LCDH in Cienfuego including HU SW and PC. They also had a couple of boxes of Cohiba Talisman’s at $331 a box. The only thing on my list I haven’t found is PLPC’s. A sea day tomorrow and then two days in Havana. 

Good find on the Sir Winston’s.......

If I found the Talismans I’d most likely turn them and buy more Sir Winston’s 

[stogieluver]

On ‎5‎/‎24‎/‎2018 at 5:07 PM, JY0 said:

Plenty of stock at LCDH in Cienfuego including HU SW and PC. They also had a couple of boxes of Cohiba Talisman’s at $331 a box. The only thing on my list I haven’t found is PLPC’s. A sea day tomorrow and then two days in Havana. 

Thanks for all the updates, Jeff.  Looking forward to you update from Havana tomorrow and Sunday. 

[JY0]

Havana is amazing, truly. We saw it today with Jorge and he is excellent. We had a full day including shopping at 4 LCDH’s. I’ll recap and post pictures when we get home. One more day in Havana then sail overnight to Miami. I’m sweating out my visit with US Customs in Miami. I have a lot of boxes, just 3 bundles of customs from Alex, Reynolds and Yolanda. 

[JY0]

Forgot to mention I was able,to find everything I needed in Havana. I found PLPC’s and RA Gigante’s only in Havana. Alex had both. 

[GotaCohiba]

4 minutes ago, JY0 said:

Forgot to mention I was able,to find everything I needed in Havana. I found PLPC’s and RA Gigante’s only in Havana. Alex had both. 

Anxiously waiting to see the haul pics 

[GotaCohiba]

On 5/24/2018 at 5:30 PM, FatherOfPugs said:

1 liter duty free; you can bring back as much as you can carry, but after 1 liter it can get taxed.

Any idea what the duty fee is for additional liters over the 1 liter limit?

[GotaCohiba]

4 hours ago, FatherOfPugs said:

It's something around $2 - $3 a bottle I think, at least that is what I could surmise from my research online. It's not back breaking, and that's if you get asked about it. When I came back from France, I had a suitcase that said "wine-checker" right on it with 12 bottles of mixed booze, rum, wine, and scotch. Customs agent saw it, asked if we had a good time at the wineries, we said we had a great time, and on our way we went. It all depends on what kind of mood the agent is in.

Also, it is 1 liter per person, so if you are going with others, each person can bring 1 liter duty free.

Thank you 

[JY0]

Well, that was interesting. Just cleared customs. I was honest coming through about the number of boxes and bundles I had and we were pulled. I’ll write details later as I’m getting in a flight home. I did get all my purchases through but not until they busted on me for a while and made me sweat. I was charged 4% duty. 

[luv2fly]

Well that sucks!  I have never heard of this happening.  Maybe the agent was mad he had to work Memorial Day.

Looking forward to more details.

[Derboesekoenig]

That is interesting. How many boxes did you tell them?? lol 30? 50? haha

[JY0]

Just got home. We had an amazing trip, our first but definitely not our last. I claimed the truth, 3 liters of rum, 25 boxes and 3 bundles of customs. The agent was shocked and we went back and forth a few times with me reassuring him that yes, I said and meant 25. They pulled me into a back room with my 3 suitcases and had us sit down. It was my wife, me and 2 uniformed agents. I think he was just testing me. 

 

"These are for commercial use, right'? No sir, I smoke a lot of cigars, had a big humidor and this was my first and probably last opportunity to bring these cigars in legally. I know the law and honestly disclosed what I was bringing in. He told me to go sit down. He called a supervisor and had a short conversation. I was too far away and couldn't hear anything. He came over and asked me who told me that I could bring this amount of cigars in. I told him that I did my homework, had all the receipts and the rules are published on their website. 

While we were sitting there I pulled out my phone to look at me email. He told me that we were currently being detained in a federal facility and cell phone use was not allowed. That 'detained' word alarmed me a bit. 

He supervisor called him back. He hung up and came over with a big smile and said, "We are going to let you bring all of these in but you will have to pay duty.". I told I was aware of the rules and fully expected to pay the duty. He said that he is a cigar smoker and asked if I had a picture of my humidor. I told him I did not. 

At that point he took my into an office and prepared a bill for $190.00.

He never looked in my bags or asked to see any cigars. He ignored the bundles and the rum completely. After I paid he told me there is a lot of confusion about the rules out there. I kept my mouth shut. 

The takeaway: At least at the Miami ship port you can bring in 100 boxed cigars per person duty free. If they feel like it they will charge you 4% on anything above that.

 

 

 

[LLC]

Looks like you handled it well and I only wish we had that option in Canada. For that many cigars you’d have to sell your house to pay the duty. Glad you enjoyed the trip and the next one might even be better.


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[Derboesekoenig]

I plan on bringing about 20-25 boxes back as well...I'm just gonna tell em i smoke a box a day.... we shall see how that fairs

[Canoli]

Great post very informative 

[n0s4atu]

Great information here.  If I brought back 25 boxes, it wouldn't be customs I'd have to worry about, but my wife. lol 

[pdxcigarguy]

Thanks for all the info guys, very informative.