US Customs Holding Up Pipes
- Thread starter craig61a
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Sounds like they let the new guy search the packages today. Probably thinking he'll get in less trouble putting too many stickers on things then not putting stickers on things that need it, either that or they ate one of the pipes and go sick....
Gee, could it just be a mistake? I still think I live in a free country. Mike filled out the form in a fraction of the time you’ve spent researching and ranting.
This whole thread is confusing. I've received several pipes from outside of the US in the past few months without an issue. Average shipping time has been about 2 weeks from the date of purchase.
Ranting...? I merely posted about an issue and posted what I found on the subject...
I guess I’m not allowed to voice my opinion here without having to endure the wrath and accusations of some opinionated person...
Fine - you have a good day sir.
The Deeming specifically mentions pipes as part of the "delivery appliances" catch-all - remember that the deeming is not actually aimed at tobacco per se, but an attempt by (and driven by) big tobacco to catch the vaping market, regulate and control it, and profit from that. Pipes just.... got caught up in it.
Maybe it's a West coast thing...it seems that every single item sold has a Cali warning prop #..." This item will cause cancer".blah..blah..blah..I long for the days of the 60-70's without any of the racial crap associated!
I am. To quote the great Aaron Rogers “R- E-L-A-X”. Smoking a pipe is a great way to implement that advice. Going to the trouble of digging up obscure regulations that may or may not be applicable to _someone else’s_problem seems counterproductive. FWIW, I think @sasquatch has it right and we will likely have to deal with these forms every now and then. BFD.
well if you ask me you did get a bit ranty and presented a few speculations as fact, but that is the kind of thing that happens when the specter of serious interference with getting ones pipes. In other words yeah you did come across a bit manic but it's also understandable under the circumstances.
This thread is an interesting example of how differently people perceive written comments...and how in the absence of hearing a tone of voice, there is a tendency to project emotions onto comments that aren't necessarily there.
Nothing Craig61a said seemed at all "ranty" or manic to me.
Nothing Craig61a said seemed at all "ranty" or manic to me.
Manic is how customs officers go about things: they just interpret the laws and regs in whatever way strikes their fancy, or invent new regs as they go along.
perception is funny that way. It is a good thing to be aware of that.
I wish they were more manic if anything biggest problem I've had with them (outside of private companies that handle the job for courier services UPS etc.) is how slow they go and how often they don't seem to even read custom stickers.
The whole point of the OP as I take it, is the "toxic substance certificate". And this was not something that Craig went looking for...it was what he was told in the email.
And the way it was worded: "Now, it requires..." implies this is something new. So to me, this was well worth posting about. Was it a mistake, or really some new regulatory rule...who knows? But pretty crazy either way.
And the way it was worded: "Now, it requires..." implies this is something new. So to me, this was well worth posting about. Was it a mistake, or really some new regulatory rule...who knows? But pretty crazy either way.
Is it beyond the realm of possibility that the requirements are pretty much as @sasquatch said, that these are relatively new to customs officers who are being tasked with enforcing the regulations of another agency, and that they are doing the best they can?
FYI and for general information: I ordered pipes from estatebriarpipes.dk 8 days ago and they arrived in the USA today without a hitch. 3 used pipes, no additional customs forms to fill out. Just thought I would share that info.
Best regards.
Well, to be brief, the FDA wrote up a new set of rules to encompass vaping and vape products. In said set of rules (the "deeming") pipes for tobacco use are specifically mentioned, and fall under the "delivery appliance" category. Therefore they have to be FDA approved, just like any other.... foodstuff. Pipe makers have had to register, there have in fact been some inspections, but really pipes are just caught up in the specific wording of the deeming. If anything, things are being stopped at the border more frequently because there are a bunch of suspended free trade agreements between the USA and other countries (Canada being one). So it's a lot of fun all of a sudden.
I guess we need to be protected from foreign pipes, then.
Domestic pipe sellers and manufacturers might not be affected and even if they were, I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that we have more pipes than guns in this country.
If they’re really concerned, maybe some communities will offer “buy back” opportunities for our old pipes?
Domestic pipe sellers and manufacturers might not be affected and even if they were, I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that we have more pipes than guns in this country.
If they’re really concerned, maybe some communities will offer “buy back” opportunities for our old pipes?
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