Carrying habushu (snake wine) from Japan to USA
Next month I am traveling from Japan to USA. One of my friends is asking me to bring habushu (snake wine) as a souvenir. Like this pic:
I want to ask a question here, is it OK to carry Habushu (snake wine) into USA?
Best Answer
Is it OK to carry Habushu into USA?
Answer is from US Customs And Border Protection. You may only be allowed to carry Habushu (snake wine) into USA if it is not listed as an endangered species.
Source:US Customs And Border Protection
Can I bring back snake wine or habu sake from Asia?
While all imports of alcoholic beverages are subject to certain restrictions, snake wine is also subject to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) regulations.
The main concern for bringing snake wine into the U.S. when a snake used in the wine that are endangered species, and therefore inadmissible.
The wine would have to be inspected by an FWS specialist to determine if the snake was an endangered species. If a FWS inspector is not available, the wine would be detained until it can be inspected, and you would be responsible for making arrangements for its forward shipment if the snake were not an endangered species.
You are also supposed to declare in Custom Declaration From that you are bringing animal wildlife product into USA:
Further please confirm with the vendor in Japan that the snake in that bottle is not listed as an endangered species, otherwise it will be seized by US customs.
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Can you bring snake wine to America?
The snakes used (typically cobras) are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, so you cannot import genuine snake wine into the USA. As well as dead animals, live animals are also affected by this.Can you fly with alcohol from Japan to us?
you can bring in up to a liter of alcohol duty free. You can bring more in but you will have to pay duty on it.Does habu sake expire?
Drink sake within one week of opening, but the best taste will be experienced in the first three days. It is best to drink sake that has not been opened within 12 months of its bottling date or 2 years after it has been opened.Is the snake alive in Habushu?
Yep, it is still alive while all of this is happening. The snakes wake up when they are in the liquor bottle; they begin to strike aggressively but die quickly. Most producers are looking for the snake to do this, as it dies in a more interesting pose and makes the bottle of Habushu look more appealing.More answers regarding carrying habushu (snake wine) from Japan to USA
Answer 2
I’ve been bringing back habushu (aka habu awamori) to the US for many years. The brand of habushu I bring back is the exact same one shown in the photo above. The trimeresurus flavoviridis is not listed as an endangered species, so you would be allowed to bring it into the US. It would be wise to keep the scientific name of the snake written down on a piece of paper or on your phone in case you are questioned about it.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Karolina Grabowska, Nick Kwan, Karolina Grabowska, Karolina Grabowska