Here are some of them, grouped by category.
Agricultural products
The United States Department of Agriculture prohibits the importation of certain agricultural, food and animal products, as they may host foreign pests and diseases which could potentially be transferred onto American soil. The USDA takes such risks very seriously, to the extent of employing agricultural specialists who sometimes inspect the feet of traveling Americans who have spent vacation time near foreign farms. They'll also look through any food products you may be carrying -- even the sandwich you brought to eat on the flight.Blacklisted: Importing soil? You'll need a permit. Yeah, you need a permit to bring dirt into this country. Your Canadian friend packed you a lunch for the flight? If it's got Canadian beef, it could be confiscated by officials out of fear of mad cow disease.
Endangered species
Whereas the USDA is concerned with protecting humans from animals, the Fish & Wildlife Service is concerned with the opposite. Part of their mandate is to protect endangered species; they strive to do so worldwide by prohibiting the importation of them, and goods that are derived from them. These goods are usually decorative ornaments or pieces of clothing, so they're not hard for the inspectors to spot. Think reptile skin clothing, ivory sculptures, and whale or tortoise decorations. Of course, they also tend to be highly sought-after souvenirs, as anyone who has tried to bring back carvings made from African elephant tusks can tell you.Blacklisted: If you bring in more than 250 grams of caviar, you'll need accompanying proof that it was legally exported from the country of origin.
Cultural/copyrighted goods
Trying to import any kind of cultural good (for example, an archaeological/ethnological artifact) is instantly sketchy territory. Why? Because most countries have laws in place to protect their cultural property (which is usually under national ownership). So if you've managed to get your hands on a totem pole or a terracotta statue, it was probably by illegitimate means (even if you weren't aware of them). The importation of them automatically invokes certain American laws, such as the U.S. National Stolen Property Act, which declares that one cannot have legal title to stolen goods. The bottom line is that the deal made between your government and the country of origin supersedes the deal you made with the seller. So before you buy that authentic Chinese silk, check with the U.S. customs service.Similar restrictions apply to importations that are protected by American law. So while it might be legal (or acceptable) to pirate music in Russia, if that material is under American copyright protection, you can't bring it back with you.
Blacklisted: When we think of pirated material, we tend to focus on CDs, DVDs and software, but even comic books that parody established names can be seized. Example: Richie Bush a presidential parody of the Richie Rich comic, was seized by customs agents in Charleston, South Carolina, because it violated U.S. copyright.
Straightforward illegals
If it's illegal to buy in the U.S., it's probably illegal to bring into it. So don't be shocked when your bottle of absinthe or your Russian submachine gun is seized at the border. But certain seemingly innocent goods are also classified as illegal. For example, a hookah in Turkey may be considered ornamental at the point of purchase, but it is considered to be drug paraphernalia in the United States.Blacklisted: You can buy water pipes locally in retail stores, where the sale is more or less tolerated (so long as it's for tobacco use only), but don't even think about bringing that pipe across the border. Ditto for porn. Canadian officials actually screen movies for content; porn is okay, but porn with animals is out.
Stuff from countries we don't like
There are certain economies that the U.S. simply doesn't want to support, and the embargoes that they impose on them apply to individual imports as well. So you can travel light to Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Liberia, Angola, Sierra Leone, and a number of other countries -- because you ain't bringing anything back with you.Why? Well, our government doesn't want you giving them your hard-earned Yankee dollars, even if what you're buying is perfectly legal.
Blacklisted: Cuban cigars are out unless they're made by Cubans in Miami Beach. Don't even think about buying anything in the Sudan. And if you get a good deal on gold in Libya, you'll have to pass.
Medications
We all know that importing drugs is illegal, but here's something you might not have considered: what you bought legally over-the-counter while traveling may require a prescription in America. And if that's the case, you can't bring it in. So whether you indulged while abroad or just treated a cold you got on the road, you'll have to dump your meds at the border.Blacklisted: Tylenol with codeine is legal here, but you need a prescription.
Animals (even your pets)
Importing animals from abroad is very difficult. Your dog, cat or bird may look perfectly clean to you, but to a customs inspector, he's a walking germ carrier. If you're going to buy a pet abroad or even take your pet overseas, be prepared for him to spend at least 30 days in quarantine after he gets all his shots.Blacklisted: Your pet isn't an easy import, but consider this: If you own a bird that knows how to find his way back to you (like a homing pigeon), he can travel abroad and back home again by himself. But if you try and bring him back, there's going to be trouble.
watch your souvenirs
While the list we've gone through is far from exhaustive, it should give you an idea of how customs rules work. They tend to be very case specific, with little or no consistency across the board. But the good news is that you can always check on an item before you buy it. True, you might not get what you want, but at least you won't drop your money on something you'll have to trash at the border.Resources:
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/prohibited_restricted.xml
http://www.customs.gov/
http://www.hqusareur.army.mil/opm/Jun05.htm
http://www.fws.gov/endangered/esasum.html
http://newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22835
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0823041canada1.html
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