Duty‑free $800 declaration reminder

U.S. Customs and Border Protection says the $800 duty-free allowance only works if travelers declare what they bought and the goods otherwise qualify for the exemption. (cbp.gov) The agency’s traveler declaration form tells U.S. residents to declare all articles acquired abroad and list their value in U.S. dollars. The same form says residents are “normally entitled” to an $800 duty-free exemption on items that accompany them. (cbp.gov) Customs and Border Protection’s travel guidance says duty-free exemptions can be $200, $800, or $1,600 depending on where a traveler went. It also says the exemption applies to goods for personal or household use, or gifts, when the merchandise is in the traveler’s possession on return to the United States. (cbp.gov) Goods sent later do not count toward that personal traveler exemption, according to Customs and Border Protection. The agency says officers will calculate duties on newly acquired goods when duty is owed. (cbp.gov) For imports more broadly, the legal basis is Section 321 of the Tariff Act, codified at 19 United States Code section 1321. Customs and Border Protection says that rule allows duty-free treatment only when the aggregate fair retail value imported by one person on one day does not exceed $800. (cbp.gov) Congress raised that de minimis threshold from $200 to $800 in 2015 through the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act, according to a Congressional Research Service report. The report traces the rule to Section 321, which was created to avoid collecting small amounts of duty when the administrative cost would be higher. (congress.gov) Customs and Border Protection has also tightened enforcement on shipments that try to use Section 321 after crossing the limit. A January 2025 trade notice says the Automated Commercial Environment can withhold release when shipments for the same consignee hit the $800 per-person, per-day threshold, and the goods then must move to a formal entry type. (cbp.gov) The agency’s public advice on shopping abroad is blunt: goods bought in a duty-free shop are not automatically free of duty when a traveler returns to the United States. Customs and Border Protection says items over a traveler’s exemption can still be assessed duty at the border. (cbp.gov) Gifts follow the same basic rule. Customs and Border Protection says gifts brought back for personal use must be declared, though they may be included in a personal exemption, while gifts for business or promotional use cannot be included in the duty-free allowance. (cbp.gov) The practical issue is paperwork as much as price. Customs and Border Protection’s own form says officers determine duty after travelers declare all articles, which means the $800 figure is not a free pass for undeclared purchases. (cbp.gov)