Travel

Brining cigars back form usa

  • Last Updated:
  • Oct 20th, 2020 9:54 am
Newbie
Feb 9, 2010
11 posts
1 upvote
canada14

Brining cigars back form usa

Was going down to the us for a week and was wondering if anyone has ever brought cigars back. I was reading and believe i can bring up to 50 cigars back since I'm gone for more then 48hrs. But then its saying if it not stamped Canadian Duty I would have to pay a fee? Anyone have experience with this?

Thanks
6 replies
Deal Expert
Feb 7, 2017
27765 posts
27805 upvotes
Eastern Ontario
Ya need to read the whole section on Tobacco Products to fully understand how it works:

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyag ... e-eng.html

Tobacco products

You can speed up your clearance by having your tobacco products available for inspection when you arrive.

Whether they are stamped or unstamped, if you bring in tobacco products that exceed your personal exemption, you will be required to pay the regular duty and taxes as well as any provincial or territorial levies that apply on the excess amount.

Note: You must be 18 years of age to bring tobacco products into Canada under your personal exemption.

Stamped Tobacco Products – Personal exemption amounts

If you wish to import cigarettes, manufactured tobacco and tobacco sticks duty free as part of your personal exemption, the packages must be stamped "duty paid Canada droit acquitté". You will find tobacco products sold at duty-free stores marked this way.

If you have been away from Canada for 48 hours or more, you may import all of the following amounts of cigars and stamped tobacco into Canada free of duty and taxes.

Product & Amount
Cigarettes = 200 cigarettes
Cigars = 50 cigars
Tobacco = 200 grams (7 ounces) of manufactured tobacco
Tobacco sticks = 200 tobacco sticks

Unstamped Tobacco Products – Special duties rate

A special duty rate applies to cigarettes, manufactured tobacco and tobacco sticks that are not stamped "duty paid Canada droit acquitté".

For example, if you claim a carton of 200 cigarettes as part of your personal exemption and it is not stamped "duty paid Canada droit acquitté", you will be assessed at a special duty rate.

Unstamped Tobacco Products – Import limits

In addition to your personal exemption amounts, there are limits on the quantity of tobacco products that may be imported if it is not packaged and not stamped "duty paid Canada droit acquitté". The limit is currently five units of tobacco products. One unit of tobacco products consists of one of the following:

Product & Amount
Cigarettes = 200 cigarettes
Cigars = 50 cigars
Tobacco = 200 grams (7 ounces) of manufactured tobacco
Tobacco sticks = 200 tobacco sticks
Plain English.

Section 1 - How to qualify

Section 2

There is always a Duty imposed on Tobacco imported into Canada, even that brought in under your Personal Exemption.

If you buy your Tobacco Products at a Duty Free Store (airport - land crossing) then you've already paid that Duty as part of the pricing, and the products will be stamped as such.

If you have been out of the country 48 hours or more, and buy stamped Duty Paid tobacco products at a Duty Free Store, then you can bring back the allowable amounts from ALL 4 categories if you so desire.

Section 3

If you buy your Tobacco Products anywhere but from a Duty Free Store, you will have to pay that Duty at the Border.

In your Personal Exemption, there is a Special Rate of Duty for all Tobacco Products (except Cigars)

Section 4

Being out of the country 48 Hours or more, and you can bring in ADDITIONAL amounts of Tobacco Products and pay Duty to do so. The allowance is for 5 Additional Units of Tobacco Products.
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So what this means for you:

Being out of the country 48 or more hours you can buy 50 Cigars and claim them under your Personal Exemption. If you buy them at Duty Free, you are set to go. If you buy them elsewhere you will be accessed Duty at the Point of Entry.

Plus you can import up to 5 additional tobacco units, but will be accessed Duty for that overage.
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SIDE NOTE - For anyone travelling to Cuba. In addition to the above, Cuba has its own rules for Export. So one is subject to those before leaving Cuba, and then the Canadian Customs Rules (above) when enterring Canada. Make sure you are good to go on both fronts. Suggest ya read up BEFORE purchasing.
Deal Guru
May 29, 2006
10930 posts
3663 upvotes
I brought cigars from Cuba, border guards don't check, I declared them, but they don't examine them to check for duty stamps. even when I'm over the limit I have never had to pay anything,
Deal Addict
Mar 12, 2004
1918 posts
1298 upvotes
Toronto, ON
PointsHubby wrote: So what this means for you:

Being out of the country 48 or more hours you can buy 50 Cigars and claim them under your Personal Exemption. If you buy them at Duty Free, you are set to go. If you buy them elsewhere you will be accessed Duty at the Point of Entry.

Plus you can import up to 5 additional tobacco units, but will be accessed Duty for that overage.
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I always thought "duty paid Canada droit acquitté" is only for tobacco bought at CANADIAN airports, or at US/CAN land borders? How would cigars sold cuban airport have "duty paid Canada droit acquitté"?
Deal Expert
Feb 7, 2017
27765 posts
27805 upvotes
Eastern Ontario
ericw wrote: I always thought "duty paid Canada droit acquitté" is only for tobacco bought at CANADIAN airports, or at US/CAN land borders? How would cigars sold cuban airport have "duty paid Canada droit acquitté"?
Duty Paid in your example actually means PRE PAID / already accessed by CBSA

This is because in your example, you are referring to Airport Duty Free Shops (or Land Crossing Duty Free Shops)

As WITH ALL ITEMS you bring into Canada you must DECLARE all tobacco products, doesn’t matter WHERE you actually purchased them (including Duty Free Shops)

If the Cdn Duty Paid Stamps are on the tobacco products that’s one category (such as is the case at a Duty Free Shop in an Airport) ... if not, then it’s another category, and just like anything else you import into Canada subject to Duty & Taxes.

OR ... if you haven’t been outside of the country long enough to qualify for the Personal Exemption on Tobacco

I’ve laid it out pretty well in everyday English in my Reply # 2 above.

Suggest you read thru it again.
Deal Addict
Mar 12, 2004
1918 posts
1298 upvotes
Toronto, ON
PointsHubby wrote: Duty Paid in your example actually means PRE PAID / already accessed by CBSA

This is because in your example, you are referring to Airport Duty Free Shops (or Land Crossing Duty Free Shops)

As WITH ALL ITEMS you bring into Canada you must DECLARE all tobacco products, doesn’t matter WHERE you actually purchased them (including Duty Free Shops)

If the Cdn Duty Paid Stamps are on the tobacco products that’s one category (such as is the case at a Duty Free Shop in an Airport) ... if not, then it’s another category, and just like anything else you import into Canada subject to Duty & Taxes.

OR ... if you haven’t been outside of the country long enough to qualify for the Personal Exemption on Tobacco

I’ve laid it out pretty well in everyday English in my Reply # 2 above.

Suggest you read thru it again.
Thanks - if I understand your post correctly, all duty free shop sold tobacco(any airport in the world) would have the stamp. But i have never seen it before my Nexus days, say if i bought cigarettes at HKG, ICN. I did see those at YVR, YYZ duty free and sometimes i bought those on my way out and reimported them.

I understand CBSA wouldn’t bother to charge me if I am bringing less than 50 cigars from cuba, but I may not be able to use the Nexus lane.
Jr. Member
Aug 25, 2003
141 posts
27 upvotes
Markham
If you're away from Canada for more than 48 hours, you can bring in 50 cigars. I've done this numerous times. Most recently, October 2019, Toronto to Pennsylvania. Crossed back into Canada with 150 (there were 3 of us). We were questioned,
declared them (we were over on the alcohol - they didn't care) and away we went. No issues at all.

You can also use the Nexus lanes..........again, declare.

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