How to import Beer into the US for personal consumption?

Reads 46708 • Replies 24 • Started Wednesday, October 5, 2011 9:32:38 PM CT

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Message rafalv 21:32 Wed 10/5/2011 I have two cases of Westvleteren 12 that my brother bought for me at the St Sixtus Abbey in Belgium last month but I can’t figure out how to have it shipped to me (I live in Michigan). The beer is now at my friend’s house in Belgium. I have been asking around and searching the web for a couple of days but I cant find any good leads. Any thoughts?
Message cgarvieuk P beers 37694 º places 457 º 21:50 Wed 10/5/2011 you post it carlefully WRAPPED and mark it as collectable glassware. then hope for the best
Message bhensonb P beers 22018 º places 678 º 05:21 Thu 10/6/2011 You don’t have to ship it all at once. :)
Message cgarvieuk P beers 37694 º places 457 º 05:25 Thu 10/6/2011 Originally posted by bhensonb You don’t have to ship it all at once. :) no and it be tempted to do it 12ish btls at a time. and to be honest ive never had trouble with a box to the US. carefull packing is the answer. customs could be an issue , but on teh whole ive been ok

Message reggiedunlop beers 3729 º places 182 º 05:44 Thu 10/6/2011 Years ago I had a case shipped to me from a friend. He spilt it between two boxes. So 12 per box, each bottle wrapped insanely with bubble wrap, and each box much larger than an actual case box with lots of tight packing so no glass or liquid could be heard. I gotta imagine customs has little time to deal with non-descript, carefully packed and wrapped boxes. Best of luck!! And send me a bottle!
Message Fred82 beers 2333 º places 7 º 05:45 Thu 10/6/2011 If you’re looking for a "legal" way to do it, I don’t think there’s any. What people are suggesting is that you just send it via regular mail without saying what it is and hope for the best. Success rate is around 90-95%. Start by checking point 5 of the trading policy : http://www.ratebeer.com/TRADING.ASP
Message chriso P beers 7540 º places 736 º 06:11 Thu 10/6/2011 Originally posted by cgarvieuk customs could be an issue I always find this a source of confusion. Is it actually against the law to bring beer into the US? I can’t see how it is as I have carried beer into the US on several occasions and have always told the customs staff about it. I presume there is strictly some tax to pay but the sums involved are piffling and the customs guys have never bothered to collect it from me. Or is it that you are allowed to carry beer with you but not to ship, which makes no sense. Or is it just that the US carriers refuse to handle beer?
Message AleselA 05:05 Mon 10/17/2011 Slightly OT, but I just got a quote of £73 to ship 12 bottles to the US. Yipes!!!!

Message OldStyleCubFan beers 77 º places 15 º 05:55 Mon 10/17/2011 You can import beer and wine to the US for personal consumption. That’s legal. http://www.ttb.gov/importers/personal_importation.shtml The illegal part gets to be the shipping. Shipping via BPost in Belgium will enter the US and go USPS. As a federal agency USPS forbids alcohol shipments & is classified as a federal crime. The receipt is not the crime, its the act of shipping. As far as I can tell, the shipper will be committing a US federal crime from Belgium solely because bpost ships via USPS. I can’t imagine this would/could ever be prosecuted. If you ship via DHL from Beligum, I believe that never hits the USPS system and would be ’legal’ & not a federal crime but probably against the DHL rules.
Message cgarvieuk P beers 37694 º places 457 º 05:57 Mon 10/17/2011 Originally posted by OldStyleCubFan You can import beer and wine to the US for personal consumption. That’s legal. http://www.ttb.gov/importers/personal_importation.shtml The illegal part gets to be the shipping. Shipping via BPost in Belgium will enter the US and go USPS. As a federal agency USPS forbids alcohol shipments & is classified as a federal crime. The receipt is not the crime, its the act of shipping. As far as I can tell, the shipper will be committing a US federal crime from Belgium solely because bpost ships via USPS. I can’t imagine this would/could ever be prosecuted. If you ship via DHL from Beligum, I believe that never hits the USPS system and would be ’legal’ & not a federal crime but probably against the DHL rules. oh thats cool. now whats the bit about shipping acorss states? as even DHL comes into a hub and goes from there. or is that only a USPS issue
Message JK beers 7296 º places 442 º 08:02 Mon 10/17/2011 Originally posted by chriso Originally posted by cgarvieuk customs could be an issue I always find this a source of confusion. Is it actually against the law to bring beer into the US? I can’t see how it is as I have carried beer into the US on several occasions and have always told the customs staff about it. I presume there is strictly some tax to pay but the sums involved are piffling and the customs guys have never bothered to collect it from me. Or is it that you are allowed to carry beer with you but not to ship, which makes no sense. Or is it just that the US carriers refuse to handle beer? it is not against the law to bring beer in, and in fact. i think you can bring in quite a lot duty free. but traveling with the beer, and having it shipped, are different things. my understanding is that generally, it is unlawful to have the beer shipped to, or within, the states. i know of no carrier that refuses to handle beer or alcohol. i just have to say this is not legal advice.