Fort Lauderdale Int. Customs warning

[cbenham73]

10 hours ago, CanuckSARTech said:

Best times of the year to go, IMO, due to the festivals and overall comraderie of fellow cigar brothers and sisters there at the same time.  You just gotta know what to search for, where to search for, load up on custom sticks instead, and enjoy the challenging hunt for other stuff.  

I have yet to do an update post on our trip in November during the Encuentros Partagas, but I wasn't disappointed.

 

@CanuckSARTech please do an update report.

[BarryVT]

On 12/12/2019 at 1:31 PM, Mikeltee said:

I know you like to post crap like this all the time on reddit but this is not reddit. Save this stuff for there as well as your opinion that we are all idiots for freezing our cigars...

No reply needed.....

My god! Thank you so much Mikeltee!  Could not have said it better!  No place for that crap here!

[Derboesekoenig]

2 hours ago, Monterey said:

I was there in November.  Plenty to score.  2 boxes of Sir Winston, Hoyo DC, Leyanda, Fundadores, etc . . . .  I did quite well!

I was being more or less facetious, but I guess I didn't go about it right lol

Yeah for sure, I would love to go then for one of the festivals

2020 Habanos festival looks to be Feb 24-28

[joeruby]

14 hours ago, CanuckSARTech said:

Don't moan.  We're to a max of 160% duties for cigar overages here in Canada (2nd only worldwide to Australia, I believe).

I’m Australian.. moan!!

[shortsqueeze]

This is from the same FAQ many of you have cited. Does this read as the maximum number of cigars allowed to be imported for personal use is limited to 100 per person? In other words, there is no option to pay additional tax, duty, etc  and import more? That’s how I read it, but I’m hoping to be wrong. Also, anyone have experience going through JFK on return from Cuba?

Tobacco Products 

Returning resident travelers may import tobacco products only in quantities not exceeding the amounts specified in the personal exemptions for which the traveler qualifies (not more than 200 cigarettes and 100 cigars if arriving from other than a beneficiary country and insular possession). Any quantities of tobacco products not permitted by a personal exemption are subject to detention, seizure, penalties, abandonment, and destruction. 
 

 

 

[Bagman]

58 minutes ago, shortsqueeze said:

This is from the same FAQ many of you have cited. Does this read as the maximum number of cigars allowed to be imported for personal use is limited to 100 per person? In other words, there is no option to pay additional tax, duty, etc  and import more? That’s how I read it, but I’m hoping to be wrong. Also, anyone have experience going through JFK on return from Cuba?

Tobacco Products 

Returning resident travelers may import tobacco products only in quantities not exceeding the amounts specified in the personal exemptions for which the traveler qualifies (not more than 200 cigarettes and 100 cigars if arriving from other than a beneficiary country and insular possession). Any quantities of tobacco products not permitted by a personal exemption are subject to detention, seizure, penalties, abandonment, and destruction. 
 

 

 

The rules state you can bring back 100 tax free, then pay amount above that as long as it falls under personal use and not commercial quantities.  There is no rule what that quantity is and it is up to the agent to make a personal decesion.  So it is Russian roulette.   Some places, mostly Florida, are interpreting another part of the law that limits you to 50 cigars.  However, that rule pertains ONLY to people flying in and then out of the United States. Pointing that out to them is pointless.  So 50 cigars out of Florida.  Atlanta seems to be going with a 200 cigar rule.  Again, up to the agent and you could lose anything over 100.  Houston seems to be cracking down recently limiting cigars to 100 period.  Though I know of people going thru with more.  So who knows.

So, up to you what your risk tolerance is. These agents are doing whatever they want because there is little we can do.  So stick with 100 if you absolutely can't afford to lose cigars (50 if going thru Florida)

[shortsqueeze]

41 minutes ago, Monterey said:

The rules state you can bring back 100 tax free, then pay amount above that as long as it falls under personal use and not commercial quantities.  There is no rule what that quantity is and it is up to the agent to make a personal decesion.  So it is Russian roulette.   Some places, mostly Florida, are interpreting another part of the law that limits you to 50 cigars.  However, that rule pertains ONLY to people flying in and then out of the United States. Pointing that out to them is pointless.  So 50 cigars out of Florida.  Atlanta seems to be going with a 200 cigar rule.  Again, up to the agent and you could lose anything over 100.  Houston seems to be cracking down recently limiting cigars to 100 period.  Though I know of people going thru with more.  So who knows.

So, up to you what your risk tolerance is. These agents are doing whatever they want because there is little we can do.  So stick with 100 if you absolutely can't afford to lose cigars (50 if going thru Florida)

Appreciate the response and agree, as verified first hand over many years, ultimately it’s up to the duty officer’s discretion regardless of what’s written and there is language that supports this. However, I’m curious on people’s interpretation of the above language specifically, which was pulled directly from the CBP website. 

[Thirds]

Just returned flying through FL.  Agent stated limit was 100 cigars and I questioned that.  He then stated it was 100 duty free.  I don’t think they know exactly and it’s risky depending on the mood of the officer at the time.  I was extremely polite, told him I hadn’t counted my stash but it was closer to 300 than 100.  He let me slide. Actual count was 430.