Mavic 4 Pro Carried by Chinese National Seized by US Customs

[GadgetGuy]

Chinese traveler, with family in tow, refuses to surrender his $2,000 Mavic 4 Pro, bought in China, to US Customs upon arrival in the U.S.. Makes a scene, tries to grab it back, and gets into a physical altercation with the Customs Officers. Visa revoked after a 5 day investigation, entire family deported back to China. Now he is blaming DJI, suing them. DJI originally agreed to compensate him for the purchase price because of the forfeiture, as they had assured him he could bring it in. They rescinded that offer, once they found out what a scene he had caused. All this over a $2,000 drone purchase! What an entitled jerk! His family should have asked for asylum, instead of being sent back with him! He ruined their vacation, and their reputations!

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[tstr14]

You can sue someone in China? Don't their lawsuits end with a bullet?

 

[GadgetGuy]

You can sue someone in China? Don't their lawsuits end with a bullet?

This guy practically deserves one. Had he pulled this Customs stunt upon return to China with the CPC, he never would have been heard from again, as some of the comments under the video suggest.

 

[PINEBARON]

Can a US citizen (at this time) take their legally purchased DJI drone/s in the US, abroad on vacation and bring it back to the US?

 

[Meta4]

Can a US citizen (at this time) take their legally purchased DJI drone/s in the US, abroad on vacation and bring it back to the US?

Of course they can.
You don't live in North Korea ...... yet.

 

[PINEBARON]

Of course they can.
You don't live in North Korea ...... yet.

I never have any issues travelling across the land border USA/Canada; I carry all documents, FAA registrations, etc. just wasn't sure about air travel outside the US.

 

[Meta4]

Chinese traveler, with family in tow, refuses to surrender his $2,000 Mavic 4 Pro, bought in China, to US Customs upon arrival in the U.S.

The incident in the title only takes 2 minutes of the 18 minute video.
There's either a lot missing from this video, or it's fiction and clickbait.
It simply says that the drone was siezed, with no explanation as to why.
There is no prohibition on bringing a drone into the USA.

 

[mavic3usa]

Can a US citizen (at this time) take their legally purchased DJI drone/s in the US, abroad on vacation and bring it back to the US?

The rules allow it but sometimes the rules don't count for much.

 

[mavic3usa]

These are the laws cited on the government confiscation form*:

19 U.S. Code § 1307 - Convict-made goods; importation prohibited
19 U.S. Code § 1595a - Aiding unlawful importation
22 U.S. Code § 6901 - Findings

*A Notice of Abandonment and Assent to Forfeiture is a legal document filed by an importer or owner of seized goods to voluntarily surrender their claim to the merchandise. It is often used when an importer determines that the costs and legal complications of reclaiming seized goods outweigh their value.

When and why it's used
The notice is used in the U.S. when Customs and Border Protection (CBP), or another agency like the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), seizes merchandise for reasons including:

• Prohibited goods: Items like counterfeit products, narcotics, or certain trademark-infringing goods.
• Regulatory violations: Merchandise that does not comply with U.S. health, safety, or conservation statutes.
• Insufficient documentation: Items that lack the proper entry or declaration forms.

 

[Meta4]

These are the laws cited on the government confiscation form*:

If a traveller came in with their personal Nikon camera, it wouldn't be confiscated.
Neither would his own drone.

 

[mavic3usa]

If a traveller came in with their personal Nikon camera, it wouldn't be confiscated.
Neither would his own drone.

Depends on the traveller, where he is coming from, what he looks like, the mood of the agent for that day....

This is what we are working with.

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[GadgetGuy]

The incident in the title only takes 2 minutes of the 18 minute video.
There's either a lot missing from this video, or it's fiction and clickbait.
It simply says that the drone was seized, with no explanation as to why.
There is no prohibition on bringing a drone into the USA.

It is a bit suspicious. Characterizing what allegedly took place as a panic attack seems absurd. However, if he deliberately did not declare the drone on his Customs form, that could be sufficient for forfeiture, if deemed willful. US Customs has been placing Customs holds on all DJI imported drones by DJI based upon allegations of child labor, leading to DJI deciding not to sell any drones into the U.S. and DJI's inability to stock refurbs needed for repairs and warranty issues. He could also be characterized as an illegal courier looking to try and sneak the drone in without paying appropriate tariffs on Chinese goods, or to give it to a Chinese confederate in the U.S, while trying to blend as a Chinese family on vacation. Better to seize it than risk it. Custom's discretion.

Definitely insufficient information and 16 minutes covering the prosecution of other Chinese for use of drones for spying in the U.S..

For U.S. citizens trying to bring in a Mavic 4 Pro the same way to avoid paying tariffs, if you do not properly declare the drone to Customs upon return to the U.S., your drone can be seized by Customs for failure to declare it upon entry, and your Global Entry will immediately be revoked.

 

[tstr14]

If a traveller came in with their personal Nikon camera, it wouldn't be confiscated.
Neither would his own drone.

Probably not now, but at one time this was a serious concern. People traveling to places like Hong Kong would buy camera equipment at greatly discounted prices, similar to DJI drones today, and be forced to pay import duties on the items upon their return. I used to take my receipts when I traveled until my camera equipment became dated and showed wear.

 

[akdrone]

When I was 17 I quit high school and moved to Europe to stay with a friend using money I'd earned when I was 15. I bought a Japanese camera in Germany (cheaper) and began my journey in photography. Upon returning to the U.S. they were going to charge me a customs duty because it had not been declared upon leaving (duh). I looked like the kid I was and said something like "Why would I buy a Japanese camera in Europe? I'd have gotten a German camera. I didn't know anything about declaring stuff." true enough. they let is slide . I was nearly broke so that was nice.

 

[Dogpilot]

Customs can, should they feel like it, ask you to show proof of purchase of items valued over $800, manufactured abroad, but purchased in the US. If you cannot, they can charge you import duties. You can appeal, but your children may be alive to collect the returned duties. So yes the can give you grief over your Nikon camera or your drone. To prevent this:

1. 1. Get a CBP Form 4457 (Certificate of Registration for Personal Effects Taken Abroad):
   .
   This form proves that the item was owned and imported into the U.S. before your trip.
   
   
2. 2. List Your Camera Equipment:
   .
   Detail each expensive item on the form, including the camera and any lenses.
   
   
   
3. 3. Get it Signed at a CBP Office Before You Depart:
   .
   You need to have the form officially signed by a CBP officer before you travel abroad to make it valid.
   I travel abroad a lot, have for years. I take a lot of equipment with me (geologist). Having lots of stamped forms helps with entry into some countries where the customs folks are poorly paid. Aside from heading off issues with US Customs. Which have been rated for decades, as the least friendly of any country. I have actually had one pull a gun on me in Key West. I was flying in. He ended up at the FT Lauderdale Container Port, so he didn't have to deal with humans.
   
   

 

[Landshark99]

I see twp points here
US customs can seize anything it sees as being be banned in the US whether it is old or new, right now they are not allowing DJI drones into the country because of the non substantiated claim that DJI is violating the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act,. As to whether a US citizen would be allowed back with their drone, I think it could be dependent on the agent you get. This has been an issue with music instruments made out of wood, certain woods are banned. You made need to establish that the guitar was made before a certain date, those woods were not involved.
As a working professional photographer. I traveled with a lot of equipment all over the world. In order to make importing and exporting of my equipment, easier I traveled with a carnet. A carnet is a document that a group of countries recognize as a list that guarantees that what is on the list is leaving the home country, be imported in to another and leaving that country again. The carnet is backed by the company that issues them to you. If you do not follow the rules there are fines that will have to be paid. The way it works is you present this list to a US customs officer, they verify the list usually by checking some or all of the serial numbers on the items. The form is stamped and you present it along with the equipment to the customs officer in the country you are traveling to. They can check each piece or not depending on who you get. Upon leaving that country you do the reverse, all this is very time consuming and can be very stressful, mainly because a very large number of customs officers in all countries are ignorant of their own rules. I say this as global traveler card holder, many times I or my assistant would have to politely explain the rules. The worst would be coming back to the US from Canada, the amount of different rules i was told was incredible. I am telling this for the basic reason that you are at the mercy of the customs officer you get, so be polite and know the rules.

 

[BlairAir]

Of course they can.
You don't live in North Korea ...... yet.

Are you SURE? Are you 4Inprint certain?

 

[SkySteve83]

Customs can, should they feel like it, ask you to show proof of purchase of items valued over $800, manufactured abroad, but purchased in the US. If you cannot, they can charge you import duties. You can appeal, but your children may be alive to collect the returned duties. So yes the can give you grief over your Nikon camera or your drone. To prevent this:

1. 1. Get a CBP Form 4457 (Certificate of Registration for Personal Effects Taken Abroad):
   .
   This form proves that the item was owned and imported into the U.S. before your trip.
   
   
2. 2. List Your Camera Equipment:
   .
   Detail each expensive item on the form, including the camera and any lenses.
   
   
   
3. 3. Get it Signed at a CBP Office Before You Depart:
   .
   You need to have the form officially signed by a CBP officer before you travel abroad to make it valid.
   I travel abroad a lot, have for years. I take a lot of equipment with me (geologist). Having lots of stamped forms helps with entry into some countries where the customs folks are poorly paid. Aside from heading off issues with US Customs. Which have been rated for decades, as the least friendly of any country. I have actually had one pull a gun on me in Key West. I was flying in. He ended up at the FT Lauderdale Container Port, so he didn't have to deal with humans.

I’ve been doing this since the 1980’s. I am a pro photographer and it works great for my personal gear. On a commercial shoot you have to use different forms which need to be re-done for each trip. But for your personal travels the small form only has to be done once and you can use it for many years or until you buy new gear. After hundreds of trips through customs, I have always found US customs people to be very nice as long as you have the proper paperwork. You can download the forms online and fill them out. Then go to your nearest customs office with your gear for them to stamp and sign the forms.

 

[Dogpilot]

Steve, lucky boy. I have doing border crossings since 1979 due my profession. Prior to that I went to school in Switzerland and Italy. I have lived in 8 countries and worked now in 59. So dealing with US and other customs is an easy comparison. I do fly my own aircraft cross border, so my paperwork is meticulous. Has to be or they can impound your aircraft. US Customs is defiantly the worst, least professional of any I deal with. When I had a CBD officer pull his gun on me at the time I was a Federal Officer with Dept of Commerce, badge carrying. Not at all professional. Not friendly in the least. I went to the head of Customs in Miami and had a sit down with the lead agent. We talked, Fed to Fed about it. Ergo, why he was removed.

I even have a customs bond on my gear and at times have a customs broker meet me. Nope it does not help. They are twits. If you check on the internet and recent articles from the last two years, US is rated the worst, least friendly.

 

[Landshark99]

Steve, lucky boy. I have doing border crossings since 1979 due my profession. Prior to that I went to school in Switzerland and Italy. I have lived in 8 countries and worked now in 59. So dealing with US and other customs is an easy comparison. I do fly my own aircraft cross border, so my paperwork is meticulous. Has to be or they can impound your aircraft. US Customs is defiantly the worst, least professional of any I deal with. When I had a CBD officer pull his gun on me at the time I was a Federal Officer with Dept of Commerce, badge carrying. Not at all professional. Not friendly in the least. I went to the head of Customs in Miami and had a sit down with the lead agent. We talked, Fed to Fed about it. Ergo, why he was removed.

I even have a customs bond on my gear and at times have a customs broker meet me. Nope it does not help. They are twits. If you check on the internet and recent articles from the last two years, US is rated the worst, least friendly.

Exactly, one can have a bad customs experience anywhere but US customs leads they way. Our paper was perfect and we would still be made to feel like we were doing something wrong bringing back the same exact equipment we left with. other times taking forever to clear making connecting flights challenging. Also I am not required to declare stuff I did not buy while out of the country.
TSA is another matter in every country no matter what they are called there, the days of carry film were a complete mess.