Map Options
$800
$900
$1K
$1.1K
$1.2K
$1.3K
$1.4K
$1.5K
$1.6K
he U.S. Duty-Free Exemption policy dictates whether a traveler bringing foreign items back into the country should have to pay taxes (or duties) on the value of those goods, as well as how much. It applies to both recreational travelers and those who do business abroad, and it’s subject to change as the trade industry and overseas relations evolve over time.
Most countries have a similar system in place to track and control foreign items travelers bring back to their home countries. However, the U.S. Duty-Free Exemption policy is fairly generous, comparatively speaking.
Generally speaking, a traveler coming back to the United States with gifts, souvenirs, and other personal shopping finds can bring up to $800 of goods before they must pay duties and taxes on their collective value. However, certain exceptions apply.
Goods from certain countries may be either ineligible for duty exemption or prohibited entirely. Here’s a look at a few examples as of 2023.
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy established an embargo on any type of trade between Cuba and the United States, which essentially made it illegal to bring goods back to the U.S. from Cuba. This embargo is still active as of 2023, although some exceptions may apply to certain travelers or types of items.
Currently, the United States imposes active sanctions against Iran, which drastically restricts the importation of any Iranian goods back into the U.S. In most cases, importation of goods from Iran is prohibited except for specific personal items. The sanctions are a U.S. response to Iran’s nuclear program, as well as Iranian support for Hamas, Hezbollah, and similar.
As with Iran, the importation of goods and tech from North Korea into the United States is prohibited under most circumstances. This includes in regard to recreational travelers wishing to bring personal purchases back into the U.S.
Different duty-free limits may also apply to goods from different countries of origin. In some cases, those limits may be as low as $200 or as high as $1,000.
There are also additional specific types of goods that may be further restricted or prohibited entirely. They include but are not limited to: