Posted by Gerald J. on July 30, 2001 at 10:33:20:
In Reply to: Re: Lahti - customs posted by Disclaimer on July 30, 2001 at 08:23:21:
Its been a while since I last took at trip outside the USA, but then it was vital to register anything taken out that wasn't clearly made in the USA, else there could be import duties or restrictions applied at reentry. At one time, official importers could prohibit anyone but them importing their product. For things like Pentax cameras, that meant physically removing all manufacturer names from camera and lens in the customs office. That meant scraping out the engraving the full depth of the original engraving. That would be a lot of work on a tuba and very destructive. The best proof of ownership would be to have registered with customs before leaving the USA. There is no charge but the time to fill out the paper work and the necessity for not loosing that paperwork while abroad.
There was provision for the official importer to give permission for individual imports, but Honeywell never answered such requests.
Gerald J.