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beef

Starting to Get Obsessed
Feb 10, 2021
101
254
Ontario
Hi all, I have a quick question for those who have flown with tobacco. I have a friend bringing me some tobacco from the US and they will not be checking their bag. Airport security isn't in the habit of opening tins or anything like that, are they? This should be fine, right?
 

Mtlpiper

Can't Leave
Nov 30, 2019
349
2,531
Montreal, QC
See the Canadian customs site for tobacco - They are pretty clear. You can bring 5 'units' of tobacco into the country exempt from taxes or duty fees. One unit is 200g of 'manufactured tobacco'.

I've inadvertently snuck it in before as I had 5 bags of 250g of germains/G&H from the uk all in my luggage. But I would have had quite a high duty fee to pay if it was found.
 

telescopes

Pipe Dreamer and Star Gazer
I travel internationally a lot and have never had a problem bringing tobacco with me. I did on one occasion have an armed Peruvian soldier escort me to the baggage station and ask me to open my bags. He then pointed to my pipe pouch and had me open it. He smelled it and with disdain said, “It’s tobacco.” I sealed up my baggage and went back to the airport.
 
Jan 27, 2020
4,002
8,120
I travel internationally a lot and have never had a problem bringing tobacco with me. I did on one occasion have an armed Peruvian soldier escort me to the baggage station and ask me to open my bags. He then pointed to my pipe pouch and had me open it. He smelled it and with disdain said, “It’s tobacco.” I sealed up my baggage and went back to the airport.

He was hoping it was coco leaves instead?
 
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mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
Bureaucratic changes and even the recent news can have an effect on airport security. In general, if you are carrying a limited number of tins or other "units," up to a half dozen or so (?) I'd guess you'd be okay in most airports. If it is anything that looks like it might be for re-sale, most of a suitcase full or a duffle with dozens of tins, then they might lower the boom, both for tobacco taxes and suspecting potential contraband, non-tobacco illegal substances being disguised in tobacco tins. But a particularly harsh security group could raise hell with anything. I once had to unpack a harmonica that looked like it might be a pistol clip, those little reed chambers lined up neatly on the x-ray, and metal too.
 

jhowell

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 25, 2019
628
1,014
70
Phoenix, Arizona
Customs regulations mean nothing in real life... 40 years ago I spent 18 hours in the US Customs building between Reynosa, Tamps, Mexico and McAllen, Texas, USA (a good portion of it in handcuffs). At the time US customs regulations stated that you could bring in 2 cartons of cigarettes tax free and buy federal tax stamps for any excess. (which avoids the state tax). I arrived with 20 cartons of cigarettes which I legally declared and stated my willingness to pay the excise on the excess. Then the problems started - The required tax stamps simply didn't exist... Customs insisted they were going to destroy the "contraband" that was in my possession - I insisted that I would use whatever force was necessary to prevent the theft of my property. This continued through 3 shifts of personnel - each time I was required to start over. Eventually I was escorted to the entry point and allowed to return to Mexico with the excess which I sold back to the retailer (at a huge loss) I had to pay entry and exit fees a second time to accomplish this task. I filed complaints with every federal agency that I could to no avail. The government does whatever it wants...

ps. That's when the FBI opened it's file on me...
 
Last edited:

timelord

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 30, 2017
949
1,966
Gallifrey
Bureaucratic changes and even the recent news can have an effect on airport security. In general, if you are carrying a limited number of tins or other "units," up to a half dozen or so (?) I'd guess you'd be okay in most airports. If it is anything that looks like it might be for re-sale, most of a suitcase full or a duffle with dozens of tins, then they might lower the boom, both for tobacco taxes and suspecting potential contraband, non-tobacco illegal substances being disguised in tobacco tins. But a particularly harsh security group could raise hell with anything. I once had to unpack a harmonica that looked like it might be a pistol clip, those little reed chambers lined up neatly on the x-ray, and metal too.
I once had Greek security pointing guns at me whilst I was told to open my hand luggage in Athens. Seems a fountain pen, small card security device (issued by my bank to generate secure codes for online use) and a memory stick aligned themselves and looked like a pistol (I remember seeing the image on the screen as I was doing this and thinking "where the hell has that come from?").

The sense of relieve all-round when they lowered their weapons was amazing; fortunately I still had time to get to the business lounge and down a couple of very large stiff drinks afterwards!
 
Mrs Cosmic and I returned from a gem show in Tucson with a huge amount of rocks and lapidary slabs. When we got home our luggage had so much red tape and yellow stickers on it from TSA searching our luggage that people were giving us a wide berth all the way to the parking deck. It was obviously searched at each airport. As far as tobacco, I’ve never had a problem within the US. In college, we flew back from the Netherlands with as many packages of Drum tobacco as we could. It raised a few eyebrows, being a group of 20 year olds. But, Drum wasn’t sold in the US yet at that time.
 

beef

Starting to Get Obsessed
Feb 10, 2021
101
254
Ontario
Thanks, everyone. I am not so much worried about the amounts or customs upon entry. They will bring me an amount that is allowed. I was mostly worried about the x-ray not being able to tell what the tin was and wanting it opened. I'll be searching for jars if that is the case.