Hand-Carrying Equipment Out of the Country
Are you planning a trip outside of the country? Are you planning on taking any scientific/research equipment (hardware or software) along as part of this trip? If you are, then be aware that the export control and shipping regulations may apply to the equipment you are carrying.
Issues:
- Export Control – Depending on the equipment you are carrying and your destination, you may need an export license to take this equipment out of the U.S. Items such as electronic testing equipment, microprocessor chips, lasers, focal plane arrays, navigational equipment and radiation-hardened components may require a license to take them overseas.
- Shipping – The Foreign Trade Regulations require that Electronic Export Information (EEI) be submitted to Customs through the AES System at least 2 (two) hours before the flight on which you will be leaving, when:
a) An export license is required for the item(s) you are transporting, or
b) The value of the equipment you are carrying is at least $2500 for a single tariff code.
Note: This requirement applies whether you are hand-carrying equipment or shipping it on a commercial freight carrier. The commercial carrier (DHL, FedX or similar) submits the EEI information (if needed) as part of their standard shipping process.
What Should You Do?:
If you plan to hand-carry scientific/research hardware or software out-of-the-country, we recommend you do the following:
- Contact Tom Demke or Bethany Nelson to determine if an export license is required to export the equipment. Note: It takes approx. 6-8 weeks to draft, submit and get an export license, so plan ahead.
- Complete a Commercial Invoice for the equipment you will be transporting. Will Robus or Tom Demke can help with this. The Commercial Invoice will identify the destination, items being shipped, value(s), tariff code(s) and export control classification numbers. This will assist in determining if an EEI filing is required.
Tom Demke
Export Control Officer
