Crossing border with kegs

Cass · Post by **Cass** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 2:12 pm

Made it back over with 3 x 30L kegs from the U.S. Will write up a summary so people know how it all works. I believe there is nothing about this specifically online at all.

TheSevenDuffs · Post by **TheSevenDuffs** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 2:29 pm

Cass wrote:Made it back over with 3 x 30L kegs from the U.S. Will write up a summary so people know how it all works. I believe there is nothing about this specifically online at all.

Good to hear that the beer made it. I am very interested to hear about your discussions with border agents and how much duty you paid...

Lackey · Post by **Lackey** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 7:35 pm

TheSevenDuffs wrote:
Cass wrote:Made it back over with 3 x 30L kegs from the U.S. Will write up a summary so people know how it all works. I believe there is nothing about this specifically online at all.
Good to hear that the beer made it. I am very interested to hear about your discussions with border agents and how much duty you paid...

I too am glad to here you made it, but I am more interested in hearing about what you got and where it is now

iguenard · Post by **iguenard** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 9:55 pm

TheSevenDuffs wrote:
JerCraigs wrote:Google turns up this:
http://community.ebay.ca/topic/Canada-T ... 3000000452
Interesting. But from what iguenard said, it sounded like he gets that charge on the way in to the US, even if he can prove that he has an empty car with no items to ship. That seems to be contradictory to what the person in that link that you provided said...

Those charges (10.75$) are charged by the US Customs "truck fee" when they think youre commercial.

What is mentioned in the link is for eBayers shipping from the States. When crossing food items (i.e. beer is considered food) not only do you need to fill out a "Manifest form" for the packages, you also need to fill out a Prior Notice form for each type of product coming into the States, and staying in the States (http://www.access.fda.gov/). Took me roughly 14 hours just to fill out the Prior Notice form for about 23 different beers (thanks ratebeer for having contact info for breweries!!!).

The hick with the FDA product though is it needs to be sent no earlier then 48 hours and no later than 3-4 hours PRIOR to crossing the port of entry. Even if you dont know about it, if the beer is destined to a US Citizen, you need to have that filled out. Even if youre not commercial.

They think I'm commercial off a hunch, but I have crossed a Vermont border in July and landed on the NICEST, KICK-ASSEST border guard there is and he took the time to help me clear out my name. He couldnt take me off the search list, but at least he put a note in my file that "some" proof having a job other than eBay has been provided.

AND he didnt charge me the 10.75$. So hopefully its the beginning of a better crossing, but you cant escape those one-in-a-thousand guard who probably got dissed by the car in front of you and doesnt intend to be nice to you.

At the Canadian border, only problem I've ever had is crossing back with traded beer that I did not have a receipt for. Usually its not an issue but with a certain guard, it was enough to warrant seizing more than 20 bottles of lost abbey (he even said that barleywine was wine, and was pissed at me for making him think it was beer).

Cass, its amazing that you managed, cant wait to hear all about it.

Cass · Post by **Cass** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 10:04 pm

Here you go.

http://www.bartowel.com/?p=2688

You have to be knowledgeable at the border and you should be fine.

The only issue I had was one of the border people said I needed a permit for kegs. I politely told him otherwise, as I thought he was probably thinking about commercial importation. He let it go.

Stay strong, bringing kegs over is completely legal and you should not have any issues if you have all your shit together.

TheSevenDuffs · Post by **TheSevenDuffs** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 11:52 pm

That was a very informative post Cass. Thanks! I assume you had someone with you that allowed you to bring back three 30L kegs (as you would only have 45L + 8.5L on your own)?

Also, I would love to hear what was in those 3 kegs

Cass · Post by **Cass** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 12:11 am

TheSevenDuffs wrote:That was a very informative post Cass. Thanks! I assume you had someone with you that allowed you to bring back three 30L kegs (as you would only have 45L + 8.5L on your own)?

Also, I would love to hear what was in those 3 kegs

Thanks. I posted elsewhere in the forum about where I was this weekend so you could probably figure it out

Dokta Owange · Post by **Dokta Owange** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 6:45 am

thanks Cass - this info will come in handy on my many trips across at Sarnia

Cass · Post by **Cass** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 9:44 am

Oh, and yes, to answer the other question we had 4 people in the car so lots of beer allocation. We originally wanted to get more but we ran out of space (and the car was running a bit low already

)

TheSevenDuffs · Post by **TheSevenDuffs** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 10:48 am

Cass wrote:
TheSevenDuffs wrote:That was a very informative post Cass. Thanks! I assume you had someone with you that allowed you to bring back three 30L kegs (as you would only have 45L + 8.5L on your own)?

Also, I would love to hear what was in those 3 kegs
Thanks. I posted elsewhere in the forum about where I was this weekend so you could probably figure it out

I did read where you were this weekend, so I can pretty much figure out the brewery. I was just interested to hear which specific beers you brougt back. But it seems like you don't want to share that info for some reason, so no worries...

Cass · Post by **Cass** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 11:06 am

No, its just that I don't want people trying to get at my kegs!

We got Belgian Red & Raspberry Tart. Really happy with that score

TheSevenDuffs · Post by **TheSevenDuffs** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 11:49 am

Cass wrote:No, its just that I don't want people trying to get at my kegs!

We got Belgian Red & Raspberry Tart. Really happy with that score

I assumed that was your exact reason. That's why I wasn't going to push it

Sounds like a great haul. Hopefully one of these days I will get myself a Kegerator and start importing kegs as well...

JerCraigs · Post by **JerCraigs** » Tue Aug 09, 2011 6:12 pm

Cass wrote:No, its just that I don't want people trying to get at my kegs!

We got Belgian Red & Raspberry Tart. Really happy with that score

Drool! This calls for a bus trip to Wisconsin... Me and about 40 non-beer drinkers.

Cass · Post by **Cass** » Tue Aug 09, 2011 7:46 pm

JerCraigs wrote:
Cass wrote:No, its just that I don't want people trying to get at my kegs!

We got Belgian Red & Raspberry Tart. Really happy with that score
Drool! This calls for a bus trip to Wisconsin... Me and about 40 non-beer drinkers.

For sure - my next organized group trip will be air only