IAADFS welcomes increase in US allowances

John Rimmer

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The Americas trade association hails a breakthrough in standardising duty-free allowances for returning US tourists

After a period of lobbying, the International Association of Airport Duty Free Stores (IAADFS) has succeeded in persuading the US administration to increase duty-free allowances for US travellers returning from the Caribbean or Andean countries (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru) from $600 to $800. Effective immediately, the move brings these allowances into line with the standard figure for US travellers returning from other countries. However, the legislation just signed also increases the allowance for US travellers returning from American Samoa, Guam and the US Virgin Islands to $1,600 from $1,200. These travellers may also include goods bought in other countrues valued at up to $800 in the overall total.

IAADFS executive director Michael Payne welcomed the changes. "This is legislation that the IAADFS has been advocating for some time as part of the tariff and trade bill, but it had been delayed because of unrelated controversies and procedural obstacles not involving duty free. These new allowance amounts should prove very beneficial for our concessionaire and supplier members particularly as we move into the busy travel season for the Caribbean and Latin America. This initiative is part of IAADFS' continuing effort to enhance the value of duty-free shopping for its members and the industry as a whole."