Inside World Trade

What the International Traveler Needs to Know Before the Trip

Despite the economic downturn this year, many Americans will be making vacation plans to travel across the U.S. to visit scenic national parks or reunite with relatives in distant cities. However, if your vacation plans include international travel, you should acquaint yourself with the new requirements for re-entering the U.S. as well as what items you must declare upon your return.

As a result of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 the U.S. government launched the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) to require certain identifying documents from U.S. citizens returning to the country. The goal is to facilitate entry for citizens and legitimate foreign visitors traveling in the Western Hemisphere as well as strengthen U.S. border security. The initiative went into effect for air travelers in 2007 and is in effect for land and sea travelers starting June 1, 2009.

All persons traveling by air between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda are required to present a valid passport. As of June 1, U.S. citizens 16 and older returning home from any of these countries by land or sea also have to present a passport.

So if you are driving to Canada or Mexico you will have to present a passport upon your return to the U.S. To accommodate the frequent land travelers between these borders, the U.S. government is offering alternative documents that can be used in lieu of a passport. The U.S. Passport Card is a limited-use travel document that is wallet size and costs less than a regular passport. Several states and Canadian provinces are issuing an Enhanced Driver’s License that denotes identity and citizenship to be used for cross-border travel.

Under the Trusted Traveler Program three types of cards can be issued to low risk, pre-approved travelers by land or sea in the Western Hemisphere. The NEXUS card is for travelers who cross the U.S./Canada border frequently and has the benefits of access to dedicated commuter lanes and the use of NEXUS kiosks at designated Canadian airports. The SENTRI card is for pre-approved travelers who cross the U.S./Mexico border frequently. The FAST card provides access to dedicated lanes at the Canadian and Mexican borders for pre-approved commercial truckers. Some airports including Houston’s Bush Intercontinental allow pre-approved travelers to use the Global Online Enrollment System(GOES) to verify their status upon arrival. Participants use kiosks where their passports are read electronically and their fingerprints are submitted for biometric verification.

The WHTI also requires children under age 16 to provide a copy of a birth certificate when arriving in the U.S. by land or sea. This includes those traveling with groups such as school or sports groups. U.S. citizens who board a cruise ship at a U.S. port, travel only within the Western Hemisphere, and return to the same U.S. port, need to have a government issued photo I.D. and proof of citizenship. They may still need a passport to enter the foreign countries on the cruise ship itinerary.

All items purchased abroad and carried with you must be declared to the Customs and Border Protection (CPB) officers upon your return to the U.S. You must also declare any gifts, items bought in duty-free shops, on the ship, or on the plane. Items you took out of the U.S. on your trip must also be declared when you bring them back into the U.S. It is advised that you register certain items with CBP before you depart. That way you can prove that you owned it before you left and can avoid having to pay duty on it when you return.

You will not have to pay duty on the value of your merchandise if it does not exceed the limit allowed for the country you have visited. Generally, the duty free exemption is $200. However, for certain Caribbean countries you may bring back up to $800 worth of items duty free. Returning from U.S. possessions like the Virgin Islands, America Samoa and Guam, you are allowed up to $1600 duty free.

As a traveler, you may not be aware there are also restrictions and limits on items you wish to bring into the U.S. Some of these items and restrictions are listed below:

•Tobacco Products may be brought into the country if they do not exceed the quantity in the personal exemption.

•Alcoholic Beverages cannot be brought into the country in quantities that exceed 1 liter and must be for personal use only.

•Ceramic Tableware may contain dangerous levels of lead so the Food and Drug Administration recommends that you have it tested when you return to the U.S.

•Cultural Artifacts cannot be removed from a country contrary to that country’s laws regarding control of national ownership or cultural property.

•Dog and cat fur items are illegal in the U.S. and these items will be seized from any traveler entering the U.S.

•Ivory cannot be brought into the U.S. without a permit.

•Fruits and vegetables from other countries may be allowed depending on the country of purchase and the final destination of the produce.

•Meat products are not admissible into the U.S.

It should be apparent to anyone who plans to travel internationally that a certain amount of preparation and knowledge is needed before the trip. By preparing, you will have a pleasant trip and a smooth transition back into the U.S. borders. You will also be facilitating the procedures that have been put in place for border security. Visit www.cbp.gov/travel.

Frances Allday was a specialist in commercial trade with U.S. Customs and Border Protection for 25 years