Have been going to SXM for many years Used to bring back 2 liters of brandy. Haven't done so in years. I live in the USA. How much liquor can I bring back?
tia

Drink the two liters before you board- store it in your liver and you'll have no problem with Customs--- maybe an air marshall--but not customs-- chbpod

Hey!

I believe it's 2 liters per person. Anything over that is subject to 15% duty if you claim it.

If you buy it past secrity you can take it on board without a hassle. If you buy it before security it must be part of checked luggage allowance.

We bring bubble wrap for purchases at duty free shops in SXM.

( I've been corrected...it's 1 liter..sorry)

BIGDEN



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/03/2008 03:01PM by BIGDENX.

From Homeland Security (Customs/Border Patrol):

Quote

Alcoholic Beverages One liter (33.8 fl. oz.) of alcoholic beverages may be included in your exemption if:

You are 21 years old.
It is for your own use or as a gift.
It does not violate the laws of the state in which you arrive.

Federal regulations allow you to bring back more than one liter of alcoholic beverage for personal use, but, as with extra tobacco, you will have to pay duty and Internal Revenue Service tax.


While Federal regulations do not specify a limit on the amount of alcohol you may bring back for personal use, unusual quantities are liable to raise suspicions that you are importing the alcohol for other purposes, such as for resale. CBP officers are authorized by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to make on-the-spot determinations that an importation is for commercial purposes, and may require you to obtain a permit to import the alcohol before releasing it to you. If you intend to bring back a substantial quantity of alcohol for your personal use, you should contact the port through which you will be re-entering the country, and make prior arrangements for entering the alcohol into the United States.

The details can be found here:

Determining Duty

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bettenan from beautiful bucks county (pa)

What can I bring back from the Caribbean?

Question
What can I bring back from the Caribbean?

Answer
As a general rule, travelers to Caribbean Basin Initiative countries are allowed a $800 duty free exemption on their return to the U.S. You may include two liters of alcoholic beverages with this $800 exemption, as long as one of the liters was produced in one of the CBI countries. The duty exemption for travelers returning from the U.S. Virgin Islands is $1,600. You may include 1,000 cigarettes as part of this exemption, but at least 800 of them must have been acquired in the U.S. Virgin Islands (keep your receipt). You may include five liters of alcoholic beverages in your duty-free exemption, but one of them must be a product of either the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, or American Samoa. As of December 31, 2006 all U.S. Citizens traveling to the Caribbean will be required to present a Passport before boarding an outbound plane.

In liters, it is 1.14L, basically 1 bottle

It's important to note that if you carry on liquor purchased after you've passed security in airport, you'll be fine if you have a non-stop, direct flight. However, if you have a layover, you can't carry it on the next leg of your return.

mc

Anonymous User Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What can I bring back from the Caribbean?
>
> Question
> What can I bring back from the Caribbean?
>
> Answer
> As a general rule, travelers to Caribbean Basin
> Initiative countries are allowed a $800 duty free
> exemption on their return to the U.S. You may
> include two liters of alcoholic beverages with
> this $800 exemption, as long as one of the liters
> was produced in one of the CBI countries. The duty
> exemption for travelers returning from the U.S.
> Virgin Islands is $1,600. You may include 1,000
> cigarettes as part of this exemption, but at least
> 800 of them must have been acquired in the U.S.
> Virgin Islands (keep your receipt). You may
> include five liters of alcoholic beverages in your
> duty-free exemption, but one of them must be a
> product of either the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam,
> or American Samoa. As of December 31, 2006 all
> U.S. Citizens traveling to the Caribbean will be
> required to present a Passport before boarding an
> outbound plane

I like to see what "offical" US government site documents this information (especially the where it says you may include five liters of alcoholic beverages in your duty-free exemption etc etc). I'm not doubting it's true..but I'm more of a show me person.
cheers


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bettenan from beautiful bucks county (pa)

I returned from my timeshare week this past winter (February 9th) and brought back (6) 1 Liter bottles. (BTW - there were 2 of us traveling together) I purchased them at my resort and they packaged them in one of the typical (6) bottle cardboard liquor boxes. I asked them how many we were allowed to bring back and they told me 6 bottles - so I bought six (Stoli at $9 per bottle!).

At the airport we had to take them to a special area (over sized luggage area - took 2 minutes) and that's it. They arrived on the luggage rack in Newark in a tote bin. I declared the bottles (value) on my paperwork when I returned and we simply walked past the customs agent with the box in hand.

I am not saying this is the answer - just simply what we were able to get done with no hassle. We will see what happens next year - only 8 months to go!

Just got back from St Maarten. Had twelve in my suit cases for two of us. Declared them and was told I was only allowed two Lts each. I paid the duty on the other eight which came to $22.82. That was in Miami. The six each you are referring to is if you purchased them in the US virgin Islands or visited there in the course of your trip but one of the six has to be made in a US virgin island.

I find this interesting...Again I can't find anything other than this from the official customs website:

Quote

Alcoholic Beverages One liter (33.8 fl. oz.) of alcoholic beverages may be included in your exemption

I find nothing about a Caribbean exemption or 2 liters on the government website.

When we came back from SXM in December we brought back more than our allowance and declared it all and were just waved through..we paid no duty although we expected to.

It would be interesting to know what is fact (in writing) and what is fiction.

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bettenan from beautiful bucks county (pa)

Bettenan,[www.cbp.gov]
Some place there it says about the 2 liters. I remember on the old "know before you go" list, the 5 liter allowances were listed.

Augie;

I am an agnostic dyslexic who questions if there really is a dog.

Augie..you are the man...

I found it and this is what it says...

Quote

You may include two liters of alcoholic beverages with
this $800 exemption, as long as one of the liters was
produced in one of the countries listed above (see section
on Sending Purchases from Insular Possessions and Caribbean Basin or Andean Countries).

FYI the "countries above" are:

Quote

Antigua and Barbuda Guatemala
Aruba Guyana
Bahamas Haiti
Barbados Honduras
Belize Jamaica
Bolivia Montserrat
British Virgin Islands Netherlands AntillesColombia Nicaragua
Costa Rica Panama
Dominica Peru
Dominican Republic Saint Kitts and Nevis
Ecuador Saint Lucia
El Salvador Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Grenada Trinidad and Tobago

Thanks a lot..
\

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bettenan from beautiful bucks county (pa)

One of the things I find interesting is that none of the FWI are listed.The extra Ma Du Du people think are duty free aren't.

Augie;

I am an agnostic dyslexic who questions if there really is a dog.