On our return from Cocos Houston Customs pulled us aside and they went threw all the gear to insure it was purchased prior to leaving the USA. This is the first time we have had this happen. The Agent said that Customs “is going to get tougher” with people bringing in a lot of camera/electronics gear. That in conjunction with the Bali Customs thread got me thinking.
So I went to CBP and downloaded form 4457. No way all our camera gear would fit in the space provided, so I called the local Customs office and asked if my Excel spread sheet would be ok. They asked I put a few items on the form and then put “see attached”. Then I would have to go down to their office and they would review it and stamp it. Depending on who I got I may need all the gear for them to review. As we are leaving for a trip I had everything packed up and loaded it in the car.
I brought in one backpack of stuff and my spread sheet listing; item, serial number and date purchased. They looked at some of the gear in the backpack, stamped my Form and Spreadsheet and sent me on my way. For future trips they said I would need to add or subtract any items that we would be taking and get it stamped again but would not need to bring in all the gear. Don't know if this will really help with foreign Customs but might help.
FYI
Canada Border Services Agency provides a similar service for Canadians. They also provide stick on serial numbers for camera gear without manufacturer serial numbers. I have been using this service for years and it works like a dream. And it's still a free service too.
I've been declaring all my camera gear with Customs for years. Every time I buy something new I stop by my insurance agent & visit the Customs office with gear in hand prior to a trip. Lots of little pieces of paper to keep track of. Haven't done the spreadsheet yet but its a good option. The main thing is to have all the declaration forms for the gear that you have with you. Some forms may include items that you did not take on a particular trip, but that's ok. Haven't been checked coming back into the US for years, but always have the necessary forms just in case. The US is concerned about purchases made overseas that you may owe duty on. I believe that Bali is more concerned with items that you may have sold in country. Pretty soon its going to be alot easier just to move to your favorite dive destination, with all the changes in airline regs, baggage restrictions, custom "fees", & I'm sure more stuff to come.
