Buying DJi Drones in other countries

[RParker762]

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?

I have all the drones I'm gonna end up having so its a moot point for me but............

Who's to say you didn't have the drone when you went across the border in the first place? Ditch the packaging before coming back...

 

[GadgetGuy]

I have all the drones I'm gonna end up having so its a moot point for me but............

Who's to say you didn't have the drone when you went across the border in the first place? Ditch the packaging before coming back...

You have to be able to prove you owned it before leaving the U.S., by registering it with Customs on a form before you leave the U.S. with a purchase receipt. U.S. camera owners of high end equipment have had to do this for years when traveling internationally, to avoid any Customs issues upon returning to the U.S. from abroad. It's not as simple as just taking it out of the box, and leaving the box behind.

 

[GadgetGuy]

It is completely up to the US customs official to ask if they care to where the watch you declared was made it. All that was required before now was, is it allowed to be imported and what was the value of the item.
If this administration has changed the forms that is a change in the last 6 months.
The last time I brought back items that had to be declared all bought in South Africa but made in other African countries there was no question or need to verify where they were from. I just had to declare that none were made with Ivory.
As to not declaring and confiscation of the item. I am very familiar with that experince.Many years a go traveling with a rather foolish friend, while returning back fro Tijuana my firend tried to cncle that he had bought a cheap switch blade knife, none of uf knew of his stupity until it was discovered by the customs offical. Upon discovery it was conficscated and he was given a fine of triple the value of the knife, and the worst part is it had to paid in cash. Bad luck for me I was the only one with enough cash on hand to pay the fine.

For years I traveled all around the world for work recquiring me to go through four custom inspections every time because I traveled with a lot of equipment on a carnet. That meant a visit to US cutoms to have my forms filled out for expoting the equipment, then the country I traveled to a visit to their cutoms for the temprorary import form to be signed off on amnd then a repeat of the same in the opposite way on my return. Most every trip I bought something personal that I had to declare if the value was more than the limit, never once was required to list the country of origin.
Again if there has been a change I would like to see it

i cannot speak for your experience.
I can only tell you what is required today, and I cited the U.S. Customs requirements in Post #9 above.
I strongly suggest you actually read them before pontificating further in error.
If you choose to believe otherwise, so be it.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Saying I am wrong about the motivations of others, shows off your agenda here more than any real knowledge. If you read my earlier comments, I recently bought a new camera that cost me $500 more to purchase it in the US because of the cost of the tariff, I was never tempted to buy it out of the country for less because I could buy it here, even though it cost more than it should have. To assume why you are the one who knows every persons motives is foolish at best. Prove that buying a DJI product in the US from any vendor was imported in what you would call the legal way, no matter the cost. If it so easy to buy here, why is there no stock at B&H, Adorama, Best Buy, and only at seemly private or very small vendors. It seems you are implying that is because they feel that no one would buy at the price the tariffs would require. Why then is DJI not selling directly in the US.
Please produce a copy of the import form you are so familar with that includes your stated mandatory listing of country of origin. in both a shipping document and the declaration form that a US citizen would fill out flying back home.

I am not disagreeing with the fact that some vendors shipping to the US have possibly misrepresented the value of the item on their import forms. I just think your glee in throwing around the word fraud says something about the agenda here.
Again I will prefaces this with I have not personally bought something out of the country and have flown back with the item and filled out any declaration form, so as to what is required by a traveler today I do not know if it has changed from the last time I did. All it ever asked was a vague description of the item and a value, never I repeat never did it ask country of origin. It may have asked if it was from a country that had its imports banned like Cuban cigars or an item like that was not allowed like a meat product but nothing more. Since I have never been a direct importer I have no idea if the country of origin was required on an importers form. If one thinks about prior to the present administration tariffs were pretty much the same for most countries if at all except for a few. So like I asked before please produce the form showing the requirement.

I guess you do not know much about the value of wine when you say it does not in any way compete with the price of a DJI crator combo. One could i you had the funds and the desire purchse a case of wine euorpe, that had many different countires of origin and spend way more than any DJI Mavic 4 combo.

I also think it is very naive to believe that US customs has anywhere near the infrastructure to examine every shipment to find out the country of origin of the contents within.

Lastly you have ignored why it is difficult to buy a DJI product here in the US, it is not the tariff, one could argue that is because of the unsubstantiated silent ban by US Custom's claim with no evidence that DJI is in violation of the UFLP

Secondly the decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C, said that the recprical tariffs you are so concerned with are illegal, or is it fraud on US consumers

I spoke and am speaking from personal knowledge of my own motivations and was summarizing those of everyone else who was purchasing off eBay from Korea and Japan prior to the expiration of the de minimus exemption for all countries, as you would also know, if you had bothered to read the various threads on the topic over the last 3 months.

Again, believe what you want, but we know why we purchased from Korea and Japan, not you! Speculate and second guess all you want.

It was not because there were no opportunities to purchase in the U.S.. It's because those opportunities cost $1500 to $2200 more than the delivered price from Korea and Japan through last month! It's not difficult math!

I am not ignoring anything. Perhaps money means nothing to you.
Ever heard the expression, "Follow the money."
It's as true here as anywhere, whether you believe it or not.

 

[Landshark99]

I asked you to verify and show the customs declaration form, well I have downloaded it for you, it looks the same as it always has.
Please show me where it requires one to list the country of origin of items bought on the trip. On this basic entry form it does not exist, It does not ask, anywhere. That does not mean the customs officer cannot or will not ask, but it it is up to that officer to ask that question in what would normally be a secondary examination

 

[Landshark99]

You have to be able to prove you owned it before leaving the U.S., by registering it with Customs on a form before you leave the U.S. with a purchase receipt. U.S. camera owners of high end equipment have had to do this for years when traveling internationally, to avoid any Customs issues upon returning to the U.S. from abroad. It's not as simple as just taking it out of the box, and leaving the box behind.

To be clear if you do not declare items you bought while out of the country and it is discovered one risks the possibility of confiscation, as well as a fine. That applies only if it would otherwise be legal to import. Things that are illegal could lead to criminal charges. That all being said you do not have to get signed customs list if you are reentering with your "expensive" camera, watch or whatever you can also carry with you a copy of a receipt, but you are also not required to declare the things you are reentering with. This proof of ownership would only come up upon a secondary examination.
For me when I used to travel for work it was a need of mine to use a carnet, mainly because I traveled with anywhere between 6 and 20 cases of photo equipment.

 

[tstr14]

The form I had to fill out looked nothing like that one. It was a 5 page document sent via DocuSign. It did not list country of origin, but that is clearly stated on the box as China, even though the order came from Japan. I am not going to post the form as it contains personal info, but again, it is NOT the form pictured.

 

[Landshark99]

The form I had to fill out looked nothing like that one. It was a 5 page document sent via DocuSign. It did not list country of origin, but that is clearly stated on the box as China, even though the order came from Japan. I am not going to post the form as it contains personal info, but again, it is NOT the form pictured.

understood you are talking about an importer form, which was required because it was shipped in not carried in as a traveler. Even though I have imported many items ( custom made Kitchen knives) from Japan in the past I have never had to fill one out, so being honest I have no idea what is required.
I was referring to the discussion of what was required of a US traveler upon reentering to the US with items they bought and are bring back with them.
It was posted that one has to declare the country of origin of all purchases, as one can see that form has no such requirement.

 

[Landshark99]

I spoke and am speaking from personal knowledge of my own motivations and was summarizing those of everyone else who was purchasing off eBay from Korea and Japan prior to the expiration of the de minimus exemption for all countries, as you would also know, if you had bothered to read the various threads on the topic over the last 3 months.

Again, believe what you want, but we know why we purchased from Korea and Japan, not you! Speculate and second guess all you want.

It was not because there were no opportunities to purchase in the U.S.. It's because those opportunities cost $1500 to $2200 more than the delivered price from Korea and Japan through last month! It's not difficult math!

I am not ignoring anything. Perhaps money means nothing to you.
Ever heard the expression, "Follow the money."
It's as true here as anywhere, whether you believe it or not.

It is all speculation when one is posting about other motivations, for what they do or say. You have also now posted that those purchases knowingly involved fraud "Three separate frauds were committed by the Korean eBay sellers on their U.S. Customs Declaration forms to avoid any scrutiny under the existing tariffs prior to August 29th. The proper tariffs were all 55%. No tariffs were charged because the sellers fraudulently filled out the Customs Declaration forms."
I would speculate that most buyers had "no idea" how those shipping forms were filled out by the Ebay vendor and "trusted" the vendor could deliver the items they had ordered without issues.

 

[GadgetGuy]

To be clear if you do not declare items you bought while out of the country and it is discovered one risks the possibility of confiscation, as well as a fine. That applies only if it would otherwise be legal to import. Things that are illegal could lead to criminal charges. That all being said you do not have to get signed customs list if you are reentering with your "expensive" camera, watch or whatever you can also carry with you a copy of a receipt, but you are also not required to declare the things you are reentering with. This proof of ownership would only come up upon a secondary examination.
For me when I used to travel for work it was a need of mine to use a carnet, mainly because I traveled with anywhere between 6 and 20 cases of photo equipment.

We seem to be saying the same thing, but you still want to argue.
You yourself have done and experienced exactly what I have been referring to.
You want to split hairs.
The Customs Declaration Form you uploaded is from July 2024.
Regardless, on its face the Declaration Form requires the declarant to declare:

"15 RESIDENTS-the total value of all goods, including commercial merchandise I/we have purchased or acquired abroad, (including gifts for someone else but not items mailed to the U.S.) and am/are bringing to the U.S. is:"

"Important Information
U.S. Residents-Declare all articles that you have acquired abroad and
are bringing into the United States.
Declare all articles on this declaration form and show the value in U.S.
dollars. For gifts, please indicate the retail value."

"Duty—CBP officers will determine duty. U.S. residents are normally entitled to a duty-free exemption of $800 on items accompanying them. Visitors (non-residents) are normally entitled to an exemption of $100. Duty will be assessed at the current rate on the first $1,000 above the exemption."

Once you truthfully declare your DJI Mavic 4 Pro Combo was acquired abroad, and truthfully "show" the value on the form in U.S. dollars, the CBP officers will determine duty.
The duty is determined by the country in which it was manufactured. It states right on the box, "Manufactured in China." That will require a 55% duty/tariff. QED.

Given that the $800 de minimus exemption has been abolished for all countries, I strongly suspect that the $800 duty-free exemption no longer applies, and a new form exists reflecting that change. Regardless, there is no dispute about where DJI drones are manufactured. It's on the box, and probably also somwhere on the drone inside the battery compartment. They will not just take your word for it, when the difference is between 15% and 55% on $4,000!

 

[GadgetGuy]

I would speculate that most buyers had "no idea" how those shipping forms were filled out by the Ebay vendor and "trusted" the vendor could deliver the items they had ordered without issues.

They absolutely did! We were all counting on it! Otherwise, why not buy locally and pay the higher price? I am not speculating when i am telling you my reasons. Believe what you want. We are done here!

 

[GadgetGuy]

The form I had to fill out looked nothing like that one. It was a 5 page document sent via DocuSign. It did not list country of origin, but that is clearly stated on the box as China, even though the order came from Japan. I am not going to post the form as it contains personal info, but again, it is NOT the form pictured.

Exactly! It's an old form from 7/24 before the de minimus exemption was eliminated for all countries. No idea where he got it, but it has certainly been updated since July 2024!

His form is for people entering the US with goods they purchased abroad, and really has no relevance to goods shipped via courier to the United States from foreign countries, where the either the recipient or the seller must fill out Customs Declaration forms to determine the necessary tariffs and either prepay or collect them, since nothing is now tariff free.

 

[Landshark99]

We seem to be saying the same thing, but you still want to argue.
You yourself have done and experienced exactly what I have been referring to.
You want to split hairs.
The Customs Declaration Form you uploaded is from July 2024.
Regardless, on its face the Declaration Form requires the declarant to declare:

"15 RESIDENTS-the total value of all goods, including commercial merchandise I/we have purchased or acquired abroad, (including gifts for someone else but not items mailed to the U.S.) and am/are bringing to the U.S. is:"

"Important Information
U.S. Residents-Declare all articles that you have acquired abroad and
are bringing into the United States.
Declare all articles on this declaration form and show the value in U.S.
dollars. For gifts, please indicate the retail value."

"Duty—CBP officers will determine duty. U.S. residents are normally entitled to a duty-free exemption of $800 on items accompanying them. Visitors (non-residents) are normally entitled to an exemption of $100. Duty will be assessed at the current rate on the first $1,000 above the exemption."

Once you truthfully declare your DJI Mavic 4 Pro Combo was acquired abroad, and truthfully "show" the value on the form in U.S. dollars, the CBP officers will determine duty.
The duty is determined by the country in which it was manufactured. It states right on the box, "Manufactured in China." That will require a 55% duty/tariff. QED.

Given that the $800 de minimus exemption has been abolished for all countries, I strongly suspect that the $800 duty-free exemption no longer applies, and a new form exists reflecting that change. Regardless, there is no dispute about where DJI drones are manufactured. It's on the box, and probably also somwhere on the drone inside the battery compartment. They will not just take your word for it, when the difference is between 15% and 55% on $4,000

We are not saying the same thing, you said that the traveler is required to list the country of origin on all items bought while out of the country. The $800 limit is still in place for US travelers. There is still no duty charged until after $1,000 is reached for a traveler not an import. So there is no requirement that one states the country of origin of say a DJI MINI 5 they bought in Japan for $795, which circles back to what I wrote, the custom officer could ask but you are not required to list it. If the item is subject to duty and it is presented for inspection it is still up to the custom agent to determine country of origin, by asking or investigating.

 

[Landshark99]

That form is still the current one on the US customs site, but was wrong on the limits, they have changed the total for a a family "
U.S. Citizens and Residents

• Under the new definition of domestic relationship, one combined family declaration can be presented to the CBP officer upon arrival.
• For returning U.S. residents to be considered members of a family and group their exemption from customs duty and internal revenue tax, individuals must have lived together in one household at their last permanent residence and intend to live together in one household after their arrival in the U.S.
• As with any joint declaration, verbal or written, the person making and/or signing the declaration will be held accountable for its validity.
• If family members are U.S. residents, regulations allow them to combine the applicable personal duty exemption per each individual family member. For example, a family of five (5) members returning directly from Paris, France would be entitled to a combined personal duty exemption of $4,000 ($800 x 5 individuals = $4,000).
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• So i guess if you brought the family maybe the Mavic 4 could slide by without any duty charge

 

[Landshark99]

Exactly! It's an old form from 7/24 before the de minimus exemption was eliminated for all countries. No idea where he got it, but it has certainly been updated since July 2024!

His form is for people entering the US with goods they purchased abroad, and really has no relevance to goods shipped via courier to the United States from foreign countries, where the either the recipient or the seller must fill out Customs Declaration forms to determine the necessary tariffs and either prepay or collect them, since nothing is now tariff free.

I never said the form had anything to do with shipping or importing and if you bothered to go to the US customs web site you will find the form to be current for what it is. Now there is usually an electronic one of same type on reentry. You were they one that started this whole discussion by saying one had to declare country of origin to a custom officer. If one is importing it would be rare to talk to a custom agent, at all. So I was always referring to a traveler's needs upon reentering.

 

[Landshark99]

looking back through my posting I did make a mistake with regards to my knowledge of what info is need on the custom form for shipping as an import., since I have not done one. The only ones I have found are from shipping agents. What I said about traveling though is absolutely correct

 

[Manzique]

At least your travel advice still stands solid

 

[tstr14]

Redacted Form:

 

[Droning on and on...]

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.

There you go, you should say nothing.

I'm not some Jr. fanboy, but I am rather opposed to conjured conspiracies.

The problems importing DJI gear through customs began long before Trump was re-elected. Might Jr. be not too upset about it? I can imagine. But then I can also imagine he doesn't give a rat's behind. I simply don't know and neither do you, so have some character and avoid casting stones purely out of political animus.

 

[Droning on and on...]

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?

I haven't' been out o the country in a long time... When you take your drone out and then return and bring it back in, is there some sort of paper trail you are supposed to keep with you demonstrating you took it with you on the way out?

If not...