Mike F

Thanks for sharing about your experience about reimporting your vehicle. Being the same owner absolutely was the reason they allowed the vehicle back without charging you any duty. They had no justification to charge you import duty. It is the change of ownership which seems to trigger the $$$ in the eyes of the Customs Department (after all they a revenue producing agency for the US Government). Even though there is no prohibition or reference to change of ownership in any CBP regulation negating duty free re-entry of a vehicle, CBP uses this as an opportunity to justify charging duty (generate revenue)!

Thanks Rick, I do appreciate the information you shared about your experience importing your car. What kind of car was it, a Baja VW bug? LOL! The Customs regulations are still the same today as they were in 2016, but the CBP people are now claiming a change of ownership negates the Duty Free allowance, even though there is no such wording in ANY regulation. It's like they make up their own rules as they see fit, regardless of what the written regulations actually state! Is there any chance you could still find the on-line post you referred to with the name of the Customs person in Washington DC you spoke to? Or even the approximate date you brought your car across the border (CBP should be able to look up their records for that time frame, there probably weren't very many cars re-imported at that border crossing back then). I just want to be able show the Customs legal people that they are being inconsistent in following their own rules and regulations, and maybe they will reconsider my case. Thanks Rick! Mike

Thanks for responding Rick! Yes, I was told verbally by a US CBP import specialist that I could re-import my car "duty free", and he even referred me to the US Customs pamphlet you had mentioned in your 2016 post. The wording today in the CBP pamphlet about "Re-Importing a previously exported vehicle" is still the same as it was in 2016. My import Broker was also given the same information I was, but when my car arrived at the border crossing the local Customs officials forced me to pay duty, and they held up the transport vehicle loaded with other cars at the border crossing until I forked over the duty payment. It was actually an act of extortion! So I am now fighting with US CBP to get a refund of Duty that was wrongly charged, even though my vehicle should have been able to be returned (re-imported) Duty Free. I know your transaction took place in 2016, but is there any chance you could send me (PM ?) the Entry information for your transaction, so I can prove to the CBP officials they are inconsistent with following their own regulations? I have filed a formal Protest and Refund Request, which they have denied without providing me with any explanation or citing the specific applicable regulation they are using to justify having charged me Duty. They claim that since I bought the car from another person, I need to pay Duty, even though there is no Customs Regulation which states this. Just like your situation, my car was owned, registered, and operated in the US for 35+ years before it was exported to Canada. I bought it from the Canadian who took it from the US to Canada, and I was the owner of the car when it arrived at the border crossing to be "returned" into the US. Mexico vs Canada, it's the same situation you had, in both cases the car was being returned back to the US. Any chance we could continue this discussion via PM? Or can you call me at 9 one six 29two ninetysix 44? How can we connect? Thanks! Mike

Hi Rick S, Please help me with a situation I am dealing with! Just like you, I imported a previously exported vehicle (1972 DeTomaso Pantera) which I purchased in Canada. I was verbally told by US Customs personnel prior to my purchase that I could re-import it duty free. But when I brought it to the US Customs Port of Entry (Blaine, WA) the local CBP border personnel told me I had to pay Duty. It seems US Customs is being inconsistent in following their own regulations. Any chance you could send me the name of the person you dealt with that helped you through the process to get it back into Colorado duty free? Any help your could provide me would be greatly appreciated! MikeF