What are the limits on quantity of pipe tobacco that I can bring back from Europe to the US without paying duty?
What could possibly go wrong? Customs are well known for their sense of humour, very easy going bunch.Just pack it in with your clothes and don't worry about it. Why open your mouth up and open a can of worms!!
That's a smart way to view the situation. You're not bringing enough to smuggle, and it should be under the amount of:I've brought back a couple of dozen tins....I'm supposing that it is covered under the "total" value cap.
So you should be good, or at least that's a reasonable supposition.According to the US Customs site you can bring back 200 cigarettes and 100 cigars.
It's not that simple, and considering your bringing tobacco into a country that has some of the cheapest tobacco already, I can't see that arguement holding too well with customs officials. They want stuff they can easily count, like pre-rolled cigars, or packs of cigarettes, you would need to find how much loose tobacco you can bring back. I would do my homework.However, let's consider the 100 cigar rule. According to tobaccofreeutah (http://www.tobaccofreeutah.org/cigar.html) one large cigar can have 17 grams of tobacco, so 100 cigars=1700 grams of total tobacco, which is the equivalent of 34 50g tins of pipe tobacco.
They can't count tins?They want stuff they can easily count, like pre-rolled cigars, or packs of cigarettes, you would need to find how much loose tobacco you can bring back.
Of course they can count tins, it's like in Canada you're allowed 200 grams of loose tobacco, which would be 4 50 gram or 2 100 gram, then 200 cigarettes, and then 50 cigars I believe. There will be a set guideline for every port of entry, I would simply do my homework and find out what it is.They can't count tins?
A phone call to the port of entry might work, but without some universal limit whatever they tell me on the phone might be completely different than what Joe Customs Officer decides on that day. Would be nice if each port of entry would have its limits posted online.
Unless it's a tobacco that is so superior and unique, why bother?
Of course, but that begs the question: what is so much better that it commands a big premium? (Just two or three examples if you would.)Because there are unique tobaccos in Europe that can't be had in the US. Not much different than someone paying much more than retail for a hard to find tobacco available in the US but isn't in stock ever.
Murray's Warrior Plug, Condor RR & Plug and St. Bruno. All wonderfully delicious and the only ones I will pay extra for.what is so much better that it commands a big premium?
Also, Velvan Plug and Yachtsman Plug. Yachtsman is probably my favorite at the moment.what is so much better that it commands a big premium?
I've picked up a number of tins from various tobacco shops in Europe. And while many of them ship to the US I've already got the unopened tins in my possession. I also have Condor, Germain's Rich Dark Flake (closest to Stonehaven I'll probably ever get) and am considering ordering some Hu tobacco out of Germany to bring back.what is so much better that it commands a big premium? (Just two or three examples if you would.)