Entry fees charged by U.S. customs Korea Mavic 4 Pro?

Dogpilot · 2025-09-24T11:57:12-0400

Just fodder for discussion. I had a DJI D-RTK-2 unit shipped from Portugal. Long story why. The point is that two months later I got a rather large bill for import duty, almost $800. This was before the lunacy. So there is some delay in getting customs bills. This was for used equipment!

mavic3usa · 2025-09-24T12:23:34-0400

Dogpilot said:
Just fodder for discussion. I had a DJI D-RTK-2 unit shipped from Portugal. Long story why. The point is that two months later I got a rather large bill for import duty, almost $800. This was before the lunacy. So there is some delay in getting customs bills. This was for used equipment!

Yeah that's the risk. These shipments are fully recorded and there's absolutely no reason fees and tariffs cannot be assessed in arrears. However, our friends in S. Korea has marked their items appropriately so the risks are tiny after the product is already delivered unless they really push it (i.e. the seller submits a correction). Hey, anything can happen these days.

Dogpilot · 2025-09-24T12:31:57-0400

Indeed, true. However there is some liability for illegally declaring content. It can blow back on the recipient, since it is criminal to falsely declare content which can extend to receiving it. If you look closely on customs declaration forms it kind of outlines the rules. It is an offshoot of the drug policy. I have had to do those forms for years flying back and forth across many borders and am kind of aware of all the stupidity that poorly informed customs personal can exhibit. Like pulling a gun on me in Key West. Never underestimate the trouble customs can cause you, they may be in the simple category, but when they get a bone, they tend not to let go.

They have what might be considered a backlog at the moment. So there might be quite a delay in getting the bill.

mavic3usa · 2025-09-24T12:41:19-0400

Dogpilot said:
Indeed, true. However there is some liability for illegally declaring content. It can blow back on the recipient, since it is criminal to falsely declare content which can extend to receiving it. If you look closely on customs declaration forms it kind of outlines the rules. It is an offshoot of the drug policy. I have had to do those forms for years flying back and forth across many borders and am kind of aware of all the stupidity that poorly informed customs personal can exhibit. Like pulling a gun on me in Key West. Never underestimate the trouble customs can cause you, they may be in the simple category, but when they get a bone, they tend not to let go.

They have what might be considered a backlog at the moment. So there might be quite a delay in getting the bill.

So true but honestly, I'm ready to go to jail for just about everything going on in my life (which is basically nothing); that's just the way it is these days. We're all culpable in some way, I guess.

I've never seen any of the customs forms so I haven't personally improperly filled out anything and I don't remember the shipment contents so I'm happy to abide by whatever "corrections" or adjustments are made by CBP or the seller since he made the declarations without asking me first.

Dogpilot · 2025-09-24T12:48:06-0400

So, hypothetically. If you received and accepted a shipment of 500 grams of Cocaine, you would be able to blame the shipper with no liability on your part in accepting it? Again, all these rules stem, in their implementation, around anti-drug rules. They bust both sides. Notice the big warnings on eBay now?

Should the great accounting ever occur, I too must atone for myriad of felonies I have probably committed.

mavic3usa · 2025-09-24T13:05:05-0400

Dogpilot said:
So, hypothetically. If you received and accepted a shipment of 500 grams of Cocaine, you would be able to blame the shipper with no liability on your part in accepting it? Again, all these rules stem, in their implementation, around anti-drug rules. They bust both sides. Notice the big warnings on eBay now?

Should the great accounting ever occur, I too must atone for myriad of felonies I have probably committed.

I guess the c*****e is illegal (illegal to possess, illegal to "order", etc.) but the dji drone is not yet illegal. Would be no different than these hi-power lasers that keep coming into the country that aren't supposed to but are listed as pointers or flashlights. I had one confiscated over a decade ago and the company was nice enough to dispatch another without the batteries.

However, once the DJI drone is officially banned, I think we are all toast and will get cut off. Probably why the Asian sellers are flooding the US market with goods more valuable than fent***l....drones! BTW, I heard about another person getting their DJI drone seized at the Canada port of entry, citing UFLPA enforcement action. Big thread about it.

Dogpilot · 2025-09-24T13:24:46-0400

Really, it has nothing to do with the commodity being legal or illegal. The point with them is that you committed a fraud or at least participated in one. It is much like receiving stolen goods.

YorksPhotos · 2025-09-24T20:08:32-0400

I am retired, free room and board, but will the warden let me fly my illegally smuggled drone during yard time.

Dogpilot · 2025-09-24T20:23:00-0400

They just want to be paid, the hammer is the legal repercussions. If they send you a bill, which they may, since there is no longer any exemption for goods under $800. The tariff on batteries, which is part of the shipment is 135% at the moment, plus a 50% and a 15%, so it comes nearly 200% of actual value on a drone from China. If you look at the commodity and tariff page with customs, there are what are called stacked and stand alone tariffs. Super confusing.

BTW, my half brother, from the side of the family I had superficial relations with, a lot older. Went to prison in Chino for receipt of stolen goods. Items he had no real idea were stolen. Not like he was a blue chip citizen, it is just what they eventually nailed him on, right up there with illegally copied DVD's. Gosh wouldn't that be embarrassing; "What are you in for?" "Copying DVD's." They all moved away from you in the mess hall.

Japan and Korea are both at 15% with extra stacked tariffs on things like batteries. Others are exempt, like auto parts. Kind of why I let others do the importing and I pay a tad more. Though on the Mavic 4 Pro Creator edition, I got from a US based supplier, turned out to be cheaper than an import. Like I mentioned, I have been nicked by customs before, months later.

mavic3usa · 2025-09-24T20:55:07-0400

^I guess I'll meet with you over at FCI Safford, we can talk about how we ended up in this mess. /s /s /s

Dogpilot · 2025-09-24T21:23:41-0400

Funny, I go to Safford all the time. Have my aircraft painted there at Jetcrafters. I have in the past also consulted at the Morenci Mine. Amazingly, the hotels there, while not so great are stupidly expensive (because of the mine). So I suppose a cell might be less so. They did this one last year, after I took it off the floats: