Update: Timing of Removal of Tobacco Blends Introduced After February 2007

[rdavid]

I have a long ways to go on deepening my cellar. ODF is post 2007 and I must have 5 pounds by the time the hammer falls. Along with several others.
I noticed tobacco reviews has started adding introduction dates at the top after the tobacco description. This helps immensely.

 

[woodsroad]

Has anyone considered the possibility of court-ordered pipe tobacco seizures if they reverse the FDA rules deadline extention? All of the retailers keep detailed records of who bought what, it would be easy for them to storm your home and seize your stash at gunpoint

Good Lord, where do you get these crazy ideas?

 

[seldom]

Because my wife is German, if/when we move back to America I can envisage frequent trips to visit family in Germany. In the future would it possible to stock up on some of these great European blends during those visits? Or would I run afoul of the law for bringing back a couple of pounds of HU pipe tobacco.

 

[seanv]

you would probably have to pay a years wages in duties to keep it

 

[woodsroad]

Seldom, I haven’t seen any official information on how the deeming rules might impact customs regulations. As written, the deeming regulations have no impact on customs for individuals.

 

[seldom]

Thanks woodsroad. I'm going to assume that I'll be able to bring personal use pipe tobacco back to the USA regardless of when the blend was originally developed (pre/post 2007).

 

[craiginthecorn]

There are regulations about the maximum allowable quantity of cigarettes and cigars, but my recollection is that it's unspecific about pipe tobacco and that it must be for personal use. I came back with about 2 pounds of tobacco I purchased in Scotland last year. The customs agent asked how much there was and I hadn't really been prepared to answer, so I did a little quick math then divided by two and said, "I'm not really sure. About a pound." He considered my answer for a few moments and said "OK, you're good."

 

[woodsroad]

The American people are blessed with one of the least oppressive customs bureaucracies in the world. Without getting into politics, I can assure you that there are forces at play that seek to change that.

 

[seldom]

I've contacted customs about how much I can bring back and got the run around. I know the limit for cigars is 100 but I don't smoke cigars. Anyhow it's in this thread: moving-tobacco-supply-from-europe-to-usa

Basically, after contacting customs I waited for over a month before I got the following response:

Response Via Email (Public Information Officer) 08/31/2018 09:14 AM

Thank you for contacting the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Information Center.
For regulations regarding pipe or loose tobacco products, please contact the port of entry directly. Contact information and hours of operation for CBP ports of entry is available on our official Web site using the following link http://www.cbp.gov/contact/ports/. Click the state on the map where the port of entry is located and then click on the ‘Port Name’ of the specific port of entry for which you want contact information.
Thank you again for contacting our office.
NOTE: The answers provided in this forum are for general information purposes only. Utilizing this forum does not constitute reasonable care under the Informed Compliance guidelines.
The Information Center open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time. We are closed on Federal holidays. Our toll free line within the United States is (877) 227-5511. International callers can reach us during our hours of operation by dialing 00+1+202-325-8000.

Customer By Web Form 07/28/2018 02:34 AM

I have been living abroad in Germany with my German wife. I would like to bring some personal use pipe tobacco back to the U.S. What are the limits for bringing pipe tobacco from Germany into the United States?
I am a United States citizen and will have been abroad for over a year.
Thank you for your assistance.

 

[sablebrush52]

Yep. Depends on the port of entry and the amount allowed is made up by throwing darts at a bullseye that morning.

 

[olkofri]

Do you have a humongous cellar, Seldom? Is there family in Germany with whom you can leave your toby and they can mail it to you piecemeal over a period of time?

 

[scottfree]

Have the pipe-tobacco companies published a list of post-2007 tobaccos, or do we have to figure it out on our own?

 

[Chasing Embers]

Have the pipe-tobacco companies published a list of post-2007 tobaccos, or do we have to figure it out on our own?

Some lists are floating about, some of us have been around long enough to know what's what, and some blends' release dates are listed on the tobacco reviews website. There are hundreds if not thousands of blends on the complete list.

 

[didimauw]

I just think it's funny with the laws of tobacco these days. Cigarettes, pipe tobacco, vapes, chew.
They think the flavors are inticing kids to start smoking. But when I was a kid (and many of you before me) we didn't need fancy flavors to start smoking. I didn't smoke because of a fruity flavored cigarette.

 

[seldom]

Do you have a humongous cellar, Seldom? Is there family in Germany with whom you can leave your toby and they can mail it to you piecemeal over a period of time?

I don't have a cellar yet because of the uncertainty of bringing it with me. Family in Germany are in-laws so would rather not rely on them for this. My thought on this thread is that I don't need to cellar because I anticipate trips back to Germany and can replenish on those trips. Of course that assumes the same sort of law doesn't pass here. I think it is a safe assumption for now. They still have cigarette machines in public outdoor places here.

 

[sablebrush52]

Have the pipe-tobacco companies published a list of post-2007 tobaccos, or do we have to figure it out on our own?

You have to figure it out on your own. One way to do this is to look for the earliest review of a blend you're interested in on tobaccoreviews.com. Many of the GL Pease tobaccos date of release are given on their listing page at TR as well as many others.
Personally, I don't think you can rely on the Compliance date as any sort of protection. There are other forces at work, and as that date draws nearer, expect to see blends disappearing early because they're not selling well enough or because some essential component has run out and no more is being made. Even without the FDA Deeming Rule, the cessation of Federal subsidies results in more growers turning to other crops or cheaper methods. So in addition to the mantra: buy now because tobacco ain't getting any cheaper

I'd be inclined to add: and the quality ain't getting any better.

 

[mso489]

+1 sable. This will be a strong disincentive to source quality tobaccos as scarcity drives more of the market. Producers will wring more money out of whatever they can get their hands on, not fussy around trying to attain a superb flavor and cut. See how it goes; it may be more gradual and less draconian than we think, or that's an optimistic thought. Personally, I can coast for a long time on my stash, modest though it is, but the fun of buying a tin or pouch now and then may fade. As the last of my McClellands and Dunhill blends disappear, and I crack my tubs of Sir Walter Aro and Edward G., I may find myself retreating to the weekly Friday night bowl. Puff-puff.

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

+1 sablebrush52.

See this
There is a similar story from this month in the LA Times about Kentucky tobacco farmers also switching to hemp, with some dramatic statistics, but it is now behind a pay wall for me, But maybe not for others, Google is your friend.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I believe this falls within the quota for quoting a quote. (Fair use, no more than x% in length? )

Hemp, which is closely related to marijuana but has no psychoactive effect, has been legal to grow in Tennessee for five years through a closely monitored government pilot program. State records show that most licensed growers are small hobbyists, farming only a few acres, but commercial-scale hemp farming is rising quickly, in part because the industry is recruiting struggling tobacco farmers.
Tobacco has long been a cash crop in rural Tennessee, largely grown on family farms in what is still one of the most smoking-friendly states in the nation. However, many farmers now say tobacco profitability has faded due to a combination of decreased demand, bad harvests and competition from oversea farmers who aren’t required to meet American labor standards. Switching to hemp, they say, is just good business.

 

[cranseiron]

^^^The economics may be the real death nell of tobacco rather than the FDA.