I would like to send a fancy Swiss army knife to someone in the USA. The knife cost CHF 119 new. It shall be kept in new condition, because it’s a gift.
I had forgotten that the current administration of the USA did something stupid with incoming parcels, I don’t remember the details, however I was reminded of this, by the post.ch website, which states,
Goods consignments to the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA can be sent provided the following conditions are met:
Consignments of gifts from private individuals to private individuals with a maximum declared goods value of USD 100. Mailing of electronic devices and electronic data carriers is prohibited.
Does this mean that, as long as I declare the value of the knife on the CN 22 customs label to be, let’s say, USD $95, then it’s fine to send it? As I understand it, this means that, if the parcel disappears, I could reclaim up to USD $95 if I would purchase insurance.
My concern is that customs might open it up (it is, after all, a knife) and look up the actual cost of the knife new, see the CHF 119 price, and something awful will happen when they see that “new price” != “my declared value”. Like, they’ll just confiscate it or not deliver it in some capacity.
From Switzerland, options like Swiss Post’s Postal Delivered Duty Paid (PDDP) service handle this for values up to $800 by pre-paying duties. Gifts strictly under $100 from private individuals remain duty-free but face stricter checks.
One question I had, was exactly how the “value” was established. But I see this covered elsewhere on post.ch (emphasis mine):
Provide the correct goods value in USD. For sales merchandise, the selling price; for samples, gifts and repairs, the purchase value. A value such as USD 0.00 or USD 1.00 is not plausible from a customs perspective.
So it seems that the Swiss Army Knife will be valued by its purchase price. I wonder if this valuation can be adjusted for age, condition, etc. For example, the knife has been sitting in my closet for 8 years. Or I have used it extensively to whittle little wooden garden gnomes and the case is scuffed and the blade is nicked in a few places.
Unfortunately, because the purchase price is over USD100, I am further required to use “URGENT” shipping:
Shipping goods to the following destinations is currently only possible with URGENT (www.post.ch/URGENT):
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, PUERTO RICO, AMERICAN SAMOA, ANTARCTICA, GUAM, MARSHALL ISLANDS, FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA, NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS, PALAU, UNITED STATES MINOR OUTLYING ISLANDS, VIRGIN ISLANDS (USA)
An exception to this rule applies to gift shipments from private individuals to private individuals with a maximum declared value of USD 100. The shipment of electronic devices and electronic data carriers is prohibited.
And now the shipping costs are probably well over USD 100, so I will simply bring the gift with me on the airplane next time I visit.
Would be smoother if you pack it in your checking luggage. As carry-on, you will get flagged. Chances of it getting confiscated are pretty high, specially on flights to the US.