Buying DJi Drones in other countries

[olderrookie]

I’m a DJi follower in a Reddit DJi subreddit. Lots of talk of folks orderya drone to a shipping address in canada and that shipping address forwards it to uou. Also same for south korea orders thru esty or since I live in Southern California, folks going to the dji store in tijuana Mx, purchasing and crossing back across the border.
Question: asides from the legal aspects- would you be able to fly in the USA if purchased in another country?

 

[GadgetGuy]

Yes. No issues flying in the USA, as long as you register as a drone pilot, pass the TRUST exam, and get your 107, if needed, for any flying other than strictly for fun. DJI will not prevent your activation, nor prevent you from flying just because you acquired it outside of the USA.

The challenge is getting it back into the United States without paying the current 55% tariffs on new Chinese manufactured drones. You are responsible for whatever Customs Declaration you make when crossing the border. Smuggling in an undeclared drone can result in forfeiture of the drone, fines that exceed the unpaid tariffs, and possible incarceration. You are voluntarily becoming a drone mule instead of a drug mule. Drug cartels expect a certain percentage of their drug mules to be caught. Feeling lucky?

 

[Landshark99]

Yes. No issues flying in the USA, as long as you register as a drone pilot, pass the TRUST exam, and get your 107, if needed, for any flying other than strictly for fun. DJI will not prevent your activation, nor prevent you from flying just because you acquired it outside of the USA.

The challenge is getting it back into the United States without paying the current 55% tariffs on new Chinese manufactured drones. You are responsible for whatever Customs Declaration you make when crossing the border. Smuggling in an undeclared drone can result in forfeiture of the drone, fines that exceed the unpaid tariffs, and possible incarceration. You are voluntarily becoming a drone mule instead of a drug mule. Drug cartels expect a certain percentage of their drug mules to be caught. Feeling lucky?

While I agree with this, if you were to order a drone from another country, at this point the amount of tariff you would pay is dependent on whether the custom agent charges the tariff of the shipping country or the country of origin of the product.

 

[BaldyBoyBilly]

Yes. No issues flying in the USA, as long as you register as a drone pilot, pass the TRUST exam, and get your 107, if needed, for any flying other than strictly for fun. DJI will not prevent your activation, nor prevent you from flying just because you acquired it outside of the USA.

The challenge is getting it back into the United States without paying the current 55% tariffs on new Chinese manufactured drones. You are responsible for whatever Customs Declaration you make when crossing the border. Smuggling in an undeclared drone can result in forfeiture of the drone, fines that exceed the unpaid tariffs, and possible incarceration. You are voluntarily becoming a drone mule instead of a drug mule. Drug cartels expect a certain percentage of their drug mules to be caught. Feeling lucky?

Whether you have it shipped in or you carry it across the border, tariff is due. If you don’t pay the tariff, you are breaking the law. People are “getting away with it”, some are even promoting on this forum how to cheat and import without paying the legal tariff. Some are even illegally profiting by “smuggling” more than one for personal use and selling them. Greed.

 

[Landshark99]

Whether you have it shipped in or you carry it across the border, tariff is due. If you don’t pay the tariff, you are breaking the law. People are “getting away with it”, some are even promoting on this forum how to cheat and import without paying the legal tariff. Some are even illegally profiting by “smuggling” more than one for personal use and selling them. Greed.

But is the seller responsibility to inform US Customs as to country of origin or country of purchase.
When traveling in the past i do not ever remember being asked what country was the item made in.

 

[Bad Santa]

So far they don't have dogs that can sniff out a drone.
Just sayin.
If a CPAP machine had it's guts removed, it could be a carrying case for 2 mini's and 6 batteries.
Just sayin'
I don't think they pat down people at the Canadian border when you are driving.
Just sayin'
There are thousands of places along the Canadian border where the line is just a fence in someone's back yard.
Just sayin'.

I have actually been stopped at the Canadian border, had my car searched, and "detained" for a short period of time.
Ultimately, they let me into Canada after I cleared the search and they ran my ID. They did tell me to not come back without talking to the US courts first, though.

Coming back in from Canada was a "Hi, did you have a good time? Welcome back."

For anyone that doesn't know. When you get on a cruise ship, from a port, they make you send your backpack through a scanner. Drones are "held" until the next port or the debarkation destination. If the ship holds any items, they are supposed to tell customs but I've never seen anyone coming in that had to go through customs. It seemed more voluntary than anything else. YMMV

I actually know a woman who came to the US by hopping over a backyard fence. She had someone on the US side picking her up a couple blocks away from where she came over the fence. She said she was really scared when she did it but there was absolutely nobody watching and it was a pretty common thing.

 

[Felix le Chat]

So far they don't have dogs that can sniff out a drone.
Just sayin.
If a CPAP machine had it's guts removed, it could be a carrying case for 2 mini's and 6 batteries.
Just sayin'
I don't think they pat down people at the Canadian border when you are driving.
Just sayin'
There are thousands of places along the Canadian border where the line is just a fence in someone's back yard.
Just sayin'.

I have actually been stopped at the Canadian border, had my car searched, and "detained" for a short period of time.
Ultimately, they let me into Canada after I cleared the search and they ran my ID. They did tell me to not come back without talking to the US courts first, though.

Coming back in from Canada was a "Hi, did you have a good time? Welcome back."

For anyone that doesn't know. When you get on a cruise ship, from a port, they make you send your backpack through a scanner. Drones are "held" until the next port or the debarkation destination. If the ship holds any items, they are supposed to tell customs but I've never seen anyone coming in that had to go through customs. It seemed more voluntary than anything else. YMMV

I actually know a woman who came to the US by hopping over a backyard fence. She had someone on the US side picking her up a couple blocks away from where she came over the fence. She said she was really scared when she did it but there was absolutely nobody watching and it was a pretty common thing.

There's something that's been niggling me... That Canadian border crossing of yours - did they pat down your sack for contraband? and what did they do about the reindeer?

 

[tstr14]

There's something that's been niggling me... That Canadian border crossing of yours - did they pat down your sack for contraband? and what did they do about the reindeer?

Reindeer stew.

 

[GadgetGuy]

While I agree with this, if you were to order a drone from another country, at this point the amount of tariff you would pay is dependent on whether the custom agent charges the tariff of the shipping country or the country of origin of the product.

There is no wriggle room over what the "country of origin" is, and it is certainly not in the discretion of the customs agent. According to US Customs law/regulations, the "country of origin" as always the country where it was manufactured or produced, regardless of where it is shipped from.

Federal Register :: Request Access

www.ecfr.gov

 

[Felix le Chat]

Reindeer stew.

...well, I suppose that might be preferable to a long rubber glove and a flashlight... which might have explained why Rudolph's nose was so red

 

[Max Headroom]

Whether you have it shipped in or you carry it across the border, tariff is due. If you don’t pay the tariff, you are breaking the law. People are “getting away with it”, some are even promoting on this forum how to cheat and import without paying the legal tariff.

People break the law every day but there is a huge difference between going over the speed limit by a few MPH and murdering someone, not paying the ridiculous 55% Tarif does no harm to anyone, and due to the reason below i don't blame people for trying to get new drones in by whatever means they can find.

At the end of the day your government has all but blocked your citizens from buying DJI drones and reading threads here saying they cannot find drones on sale anywhere backs this up i don't blame people for finding ways to get drones into the country avoiding this ridiculous and totally unnecessary 55% tariff.

 

[Hauptmann]

When I've bought stuff overseas and USED it, I haven't yet been charged duty. So you plan a trip to Canada, and while you're there buy a DJI drone and fly it there. I don't think duty is owed. Or has this changed?

 

[mavic3usa]

..... not paying the ridiculous 55% Tarif does no harm to anyone, .....

And in fact, that "tariff" might not even be legal.

Citizens can't do anything illegal but the government can?

 

[Landshark99]

There is no wriggle room over what the "country of origin" is, and it is certainly not in the discretion of the customs agent. According to US Customs law/regulations, the "country of origin" as always the country where it was manufactured or produced, regardless of where it is shipped from.

Federal Register :: Request Access

www.ecfr.gov

Again I will repeat If I buy something or ship something in a country that is not the country of origin it is up to the customs officer, if they wish to investigate where the item was made. When you arrive and fill out the customs forms in the past( I am not aware of a change), you declare that you bought a watch or a case of wine. You are are arriving or shipping from say Spain, rarely is there any box to check or line to write what country was the item made in. If that question needs to answered it is up to the customs person to ask or look at the item. If you want to customs to look at and investigate every item entering the US, then we should not have laid off all those government jobs.

 

[Landshark99]

People break the law every day but there is a huge difference between going over the speed limit by a few MPH and murdering someone, not paying the ridiculous 55% Tarif does no harm to anyone, and due to the reason below i don't blame people for trying to get new drones in by whatever means they can find.

At the end of the day your government has all but blocked your citizens from buying DJI drones and reading threads here saying they cannot find drones on sale anywhere backs this up i don't blame people for finding ways to get drones into the country avoiding this ridiculous and totally unnecessary 55% tariff.

one point here TARIFFS do harm more people than speeding

 

[Landshark99]

There is no wriggle room over what the "country of origin" is, and it is certainly not in the discretion of the customs agent. According to US Customs law/regulations, the "country of origin" as always the country where it was manufactured or produced, regardless of where it is shipped from.

Federal Register :: Request Access

www.ecfr.gov

Here is a an interesting situation. I just recently bought a camera in the US, because of the tariffs the price was $500+ more than if I had bought the same camera in Canada. Now if I had flown to Canada, bought the camera there, declared it upon reentry to the US. I could have to pay anywhere from 25%-35% duty?tariff because it was being imported from Canada, the camera is made in Japan which has a 15% duty/tariff. My bet is I would have to pay the tariff for Canada.
Also I think you are also wrong about why most are buying their drones form places like Korea and Japan. It has much more to do with availability than tring to avoid a tariff charge. And speaking of illegal behavior that fact that US Customs is quietly banning DJI based on a false claim of DJI violating "The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act" when DJI has presented evidence that the claim is false.

 

[tstr14]

And speaking of illegal behavior that fact that US Customs is quietly banning DJI based on a false claim of DJI violating "The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act" when DJI has presented evidence that the claim is false.

I haven't seen any proof of that. The fact I and many have bought DJI drones and other DJI items from other countries and they are being allowed through customs would indicate quite the opposite.

 

[Landshark99]

I haven't seen any proof of that. The fact I and many have bought DJI drones and other DJI items from other countries and they are being allowed through customs would indicate quite the opposite.

You just address the point, if you buy a DJI drone from most any country other than China, they have been allowed in because US Customs does not seem to be checking country of origin. If your shipment comes directly from DJI it is being held up in customs even if it comes from DJI Canada because of the "The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act" not tariffs. The whole reason people need to order their drones form other countries is because of this US Customs action.

Navigating U.S. Customs: Demonstrating DJI’s Commitment to Ethical Production & Labor Practices

A customs-related misunderstanding is currently affecting DJI's ability to import select drones into the United States.

viewpoints.dji.com

 

[tstr14]

Yeah, the fact that China STOPPED shipping them had nothing to do with it.
Show me ANY documentation that Customs has banned them. Anything.

 

[Landshark99]

did you not read the article in the link, yes DJI calls it a misunderstanding instead of a ban.
You are also right, there is no official statement from US Customs, they are unfortunately not required to give out an official statement.
Why else would they stop shipping, do you really believe it is the just the tariffs, are we supposed to think that people would not buy a DJI drone from Best Buy, B&H, Adorama and DJI if they had stock with the tariff cost included in the price. Why do you think DJI has shut down refresh work , they cannot import any parts or replacement drones.
Yep it all comes down to DJI saying they will not ship any drones from China to their largest market because of a price increase due to tariffs.
To say nothing of Don Jr being on the advisory board of Unusual Machines a small drone firm based in Orlando, Florida , focused on bringing drone component manufacturing back to the United States.