Retailers greet new US allowances

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From today, returning US travellers will be able to bring back up to $800-worth of duty-free goods, twice the previous limit

The move, announced earlier this year (TRW 12/08/02), will especially please duty-free operators on the Canada/US border, who are seeing increasing numbers of US tourists due to the relative strength of the US dollar. American travellers' allowances are now over four times greater than Canadians' C$200 ($127) limit. Other operators in Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas and parts of Europe -major recipients of US tourism-will also benefit.

The US Customs Service confirmed the duty-free allowance applies if the items are for personal or household use or they are in a person's possession when returning to the US. As previously, it applies only if the traveller is returning from an overseas stay of at least 48 hours, if the items are not prohibited or restricted and if the traveller has not already used the exemption in the past 30 days.

Family members who live in the same home and return together to the US may combine their standard personal allowance. Items purchased in duty-free shops will still be subject to duty if the value of the total purchases exceed $800.

• For a full report on the Canadian border business, see Duty-Free News International November 1 issue, out this week.