Duty free: From the US, transfer in the US, and arriving in Canada
I am planning to take a trip to Atlanta, GA, USA from Vancouver, BC, Canada. When I come back to Canada, I am going to be transferring somewhere inside the USA. So my departure airport is in the USA, my connecting airport will also be in the USA, and my final destination will be Canada.
Do I have to buy my duty-free item (probably a bottle of alcohol) at the connecting airport (likely going to be Seattle or Phoenix), or can I buy it from Atlanta and just carry it with me the entire time?
Another question, probably the first question I should ask: is there a duty-free shop that sells alcohol at the Hartsfield Intl. Airport in Atlanta?
I have been to international airports where they didn't have duty-free shops.
Best Answer
Let's say your return flight is from Atlanta to Seattle, and Seattle to Vancouver.
That first flight is going to be a domestic flight. Thus, in Atlanta, you won't have access to a duty-free shop as you won't have gone in an "international zone" just yet.
Then, in Seattle, I'm guessing you're going to transfer from the domestic zone to the international zone, at which point you should be able to.
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What is the duty free allowance from US to Canada?
You can claim goods worth up CAN$800 without paying any duty and taxes. You must have the goods with you when you enter Canada. Although you can include some tobacco products and alcohol, a partial exemption may apply to cigarettes, tobacco products and manufactured tobacco.Will I get charged import tax from USA to Canada?
Any item mailed to Canada may be subject to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and/or duty. Unless specifically exempted, you must pay the 5% GST on items you import into Canada by mail.How much can you bring back duty free from the US?
You may bring back more than your exemption, but you will have to pay duty on it. In most cases, the personal exemption is $800, but there are some exceptions to this rule, which are explained below. Depending on the countries you have visited, your personal exemption will be $200, $800, or $1,600.Are there duties between US and Canada?
No duty is payable on goods imported for personal use, if it is marked as "made in Canada, the USA or Mexico", or if there is no marking or labelling indicating that it was made somewhere other than Canada, the USA or Mexico.Duty Free Canada: American Customs Allowances EXTENDED VERSION
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Answer 2
Duty-free sales are restricted to international travellers. Because your boarding pass in Atlanta will be for a domestic flight, even if you're passing by a DF shop (as international departures in American airports are usually not segregated), you won't be able to buy in Atlanta, even if you have another boarding pass for your next flight.
Were you allowed to buy some booze in Atlanta, you could offload it in Seattle for example, and give it to someone. So that's a no-no: you can only buy DF items when you're leaving the country, ie at your last departure point.
Also, I don't remember how it works in the USA, but here in Asia, you can't buy liquids in DF stores if you have a transfer (even international), as they would get caught during security checks at the transfer airport. One would think that TSA would object too, especially considering the non-segregated terminals.
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