All alcoholic beverages included in your household goods
shipment are subject to duty and tax. Moreover, with few
exceptions, alcoholic beverages are not mailable and,
therefore, will be seized when imported through the mail.
You may, however, import wines and alcoholic beverages into
the United States in your household goods shipment, pursuant
to the laws of your state of residence.
Many states require a permit or receipt that must be
presented to U.S. Customs officials upon importing alcoholic
beverages. If this is the case, you will need to secure the
permit prior to your departure so you can have it ready to
present to U.S. Customs officials To expedite this process,
you should write your state's alcohol control board for
information on how to petition for a permit. This should be
done about 60 days prior to your move since the actual
petition should be made at least 30 days before the
shipment's departure. It is important to find out your
state's laws for importing alcohol before you move; there
are some states that do not permit the importation of
alcoholic beverages at all. For example, if a shipment has
to clear customs in any port in Texas, alcohol will be
confiscated and destroyed. If you are moving to one of these
states and have included alcoholic beverages in your
shipment, your household goods may be subject to the costly
process of unloading the shipment until the alcoholic
beverages are removed and destroyed.
For information on state laws regarding the importation
of alcoholic beverages, write to:
U.S. Customs Service,
Department of the Treasury
Washington, D.C., 20229,
U.S.A.
and ask for Publication 523 - "Information for
Travelers,
State Laws on Importing Alcoholic
Beverages".
Prior to departing for the States, compile and inventory
on all alcoholic beverages you plan to import. This list
should include the brand name, number of bottles, volume per
bottle, alcoholic content and price for each item.
Keep in mind that extreme changes in temperature may
affect the taste and appearance of some alcoholic beverages,
especially wine. Therefore, if you are moving a very large
or expensive wine collection, you may want to request air
freight transportation through a local agent.
