SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/wt-duty-free-shop-not-exempt

Is something from a duty-free shop abroad automatically free of US duty when you get home?

No. It still counts toward your exemption, so declare it.

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  1. No, it counts toward your exemption ✔
  2. Yes, always
  3. Yes, if it costs under $1,000

Why: Goods from a duty-free shop are not automatically free of US duty when you return. They count toward your personal exemption, so declare them like any other purchase.

Huh, didn't know that: Gifts worth up to $100 can be mailed home duty-free, as long as one person gets no more than $100 in gifts per day.

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References

Answer: No, it counts toward your exemption. Goods from a duty-free shop are not automatically free of US duty when you return. They count toward your personal exemption, so declare them like any other purchase.

  1. Welcome to the United States (US Customs and Border Protection) www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/documents/WelcomeToTheUS.pdf
    Duty-free items are only duty free in the country you bought them in.
    Checked 2026-10-12.

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