Pipe tobacco through Customs

[langod]

Some of you may have seen my post in the Haberdashery about my upcoming trip to Cancun.
Wondering if anyone knows whether i can take pipe and tobacco from the US to Cancun and vice versa. I'll be going through US customs in Atlanta and MX customs in Cancun.

If too much of a hassle, is pipe tobacco widely available there?

I don't expect to bring a lot, since I'm sure there will be good cigars available too, and I'l be bringing some of those back too.

 

[Commander Quan]

You won't have any issues taking or bringing pipe tobacco back.

If you plan on buying cubans I would suggest only doing so from the LCDH, and absolutely don't buy any from the street vendors. Those you may have some trouble bring back stateside.

 

[simon1]

Yes, you can take the pipe tobacco. I knew you could take a carton of cigs. (200), but I had to look up pipe tobacco and cigars. The info. will also be on the form you fill out before you land at your destination and when you land back home. I haven't seen a lot of pipe tobacco in Mexico, mostly cigars.

http://www.iatatravelcentre.com/MX-MEXICO-customs-currency-airport-tax-regulations-details.htm

Be careful of buying the Cuban cigars; some of them are fake. And no, you can't bring a Cuban cigar back. I did pick up a Cuban cigar in Grand Cayman about 15 years ago. Didn't smoke it and just threw it in my suitcase when I came home. Didn't think anything about it. I guess the x-ray machine found it. Customs pulled me aside and asked me if I was bringing anything back and I said I had a cigar. I knew it was illegal to buy them in the U.S. but didn't know anything about just having one. They confiscated it and cut it open to make sure there wasn't anything else inside. They told me if I hadn't declared it when they asked it would have been a $75 fine. You may be able to bring back cigars that aren't Cuban. I'd ask customs the first chance you get.

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/36/~/importing-cuban-cigars

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/53/kw/Can I bring back a Mexican cigar?

An interesting article in Pipes Magazine:

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/pipe-tobacco-in-the-mayan-riviera-mexico

 

[cursethis]

I've had pipes and tobacco with me when I've traveled. No one has even batted an eyelash.

 

[langod]

Thanks guys.

I may just pass of the pipe and go with cigars -- it is cigar country afterall. I know the Cubans are not allowed through customs and also know that most I'd see in tourist areas are fakes. (I know enough to tell real from fake Cohibas, but none of the other brands.)
My dad brought a couple of 5-stick Cuban Cohiba packs back from a trip to the Caribbean a couple of years ago, but I don't know if Custom just let them slide, if he lied, or what.

 

[Senshi]

I had no issues bringing my pipe tobacco to and from Japan. I had tins and bags of bulk in my checked luggage along with pipes and tins in my carry on.

 

[bzero007]

I bring pipe tobacco and pipes through with out issue, even have multiple baggies for different blends. Also for cigars you can bring them back very easy, remove the band on them and your fine. I have been bringing them back for years from Grand Cayman and many other places.

 

[cursethis]

I bring pipe tobacco and pipes through with out issue, even have multiple baggies for different blends. Also for cigars you can bring them back very easy, remove the band on them and your fine. I have been bringing them back for years from Grand Cayman and many other places.

This.

Although my father goes a step further and purchases non-Cuban cigars as well. He'll smoke (or toss depending on price/quality) the non CCs during the trip and if anyone hassles him at customs, he just says that he smoked the Cubans in the country and is bringing back some good local cigars that he found.

 

[langod]

This.

Although my father goes a step further and purchases non-Cuban cigars as well. He'll smoke (or toss depending on price/quality) the non CCs during the trip and if anyone hassles him at customs, he just says that he smoked the Cubans in the country and is bringing back some good local cigars that he found.

Does he put the non-cc bands on the Cubans?

 

[cursethis]

Does he put the non-cc bands on the Cubans?

If they fit. Otherwise no.