This is how a lot of people around the world live their lives. Dubai wisely provides this as a service to surrounding countries, to their great enrichment.
It creates a lot of incentives for corruption though.
It’s not at all uncommon in Latina America from my understanding for wealthier people to fly up to Miami, buy a ton of iPhones for family and friends, then bribe the customs agents to look the other way.
If you bring back goods worth more than $800 it has to be declared and a duty paid.
Judging from the changes (currently paused) to the de minimus shipping rules (also formerly $800) I’d expect the threshold to be lowered substantially. Possibly arbitrarily while I’m on a trip and have already bought the goods.
The risk being if detained by DHS for who knows how long is not worth saving $400 on a MacBook personally.
It is highly unlikely my iPhone or Macbook will be checked for newness when on my person, or the iPads in my kids' hands. I'll just time these purchases around trips to Mexico or Europe.
Anything more powerful I will rent or colocate outside of the US in a rack somewhere, moving bits instead of atoms. In short, unless you spend a lot on tech, or tech that isn't portable, workarounds in some cases are available. Certainly, if you’re trapped in the US (or you need goods that are impossible to import on your person), you’re hosed and will be exposed to the tariff costs.
When I lived in San Diego, tons of people would walk or drive across for better deals - teenagers would even take the trolley and walk over since their money went so much further. I’ve heard that this is also common in Washington and Maine.
If the savings is enough, it’s guaranteed that people are going to try this. San Diego claimed a 158% increase in egg seizures last month, there’s no way you aren’t going to have people try that with iPhones.
~19M people live on the US-Mexico border alone in the US [1]. I am not ignoring nor unsympathetic to those who cannot, for whatever reason, make a trip outside of the US happen, but surfacing it as an option for those who can. When you are trapped within a suboptimal system, you have to find ways to hack around it.
My parents did certainly smuggle a fair bit on their trips. I'm so happy Americans can learn that experience too! :> (I don't. Why are you hitting yourself.)
This is how a lot of people around the world live their lives. Dubai wisely provides this as a service to surrounding countries, to their great enrichment.
It creates a lot of incentives for corruption though.
It’s not at all uncommon in Latina America from my understanding for wealthier people to fly up to Miami, buy a ton of iPhones for family and friends, then bribe the customs agents to look the other way.
If you bring back goods worth more than $800 it has to be declared and a duty paid.
Judging from the changes (currently paused) to the de minimus shipping rules (also formerly $800) I’d expect the threshold to be lowered substantially. Possibly arbitrarily while I’m on a trip and have already bought the goods.
The risk being if detained by DHS for who knows how long is not worth saving $400 on a MacBook personally.
It is highly unlikely my iPhone or Macbook will be checked for newness when on my person, or the iPads in my kids' hands. I'll just time these purchases around trips to Mexico or Europe.
Anything more powerful I will rent or colocate outside of the US in a rack somewhere, moving bits instead of atoms. In short, unless you spend a lot on tech, or tech that isn't portable, workarounds in some cases are available. Certainly, if you’re trapped in the US (or you need goods that are impossible to import on your person), you’re hosed and will be exposed to the tariff costs.
I am allergic to kowtowing to stupidity.
It was reported that they're getting rid of that as well.
As long as it is less than $10000 in value. It is an interesting point though, if tourism outside the country will increase just for shopping.
Well, US has a "beautiful ocean" around which makes this plan a little costly.
When I lived in San Diego, tons of people would walk or drive across for better deals - teenagers would even take the trolley and walk over since their money went so much further. I’ve heard that this is also common in Washington and Maine.
If the savings is enough, it’s guaranteed that people are going to try this. San Diego claimed a 158% increase in egg seizures last month, there’s no way you aren’t going to have people try that with iPhones.
https://www.npr.org/2025/03/28/nx-s1-5342554/eggs-border-sei...
In Washington/Maine it's typically Canadians shopping in the US - groceries are cheaper in the US unless the CAD is doing particularly poorly.
~19M people live on the US-Mexico border alone in the US [1]. I am not ignoring nor unsympathetic to those who cannot, for whatever reason, make a trip outside of the US happen, but surfacing it as an option for those who can. When you are trapped within a suboptimal system, you have to find ways to hack around it.
[1] https://www.southernborder.org/border_lens_southern_border_r...
Ah, so like good old times in the Eastern Bloc ;)
My parents did certainly smuggle a fair bit on their trips. I'm so happy Americans can learn that experience too! :> (I don't. Why are you hitting yourself.)