# Experience with airport security/customs and PM scrap?



## voeckel (Nov 5, 2012)

I will fly next week to non-EU and think of picking up some high yield PM scrap on the fly before leaving home to EU country (Spain) again.

Did anyone do the same and has some experience to share regarding airport security or customs in general? It would be a pitty to go through security and they say 'no' to my suitcase content. :lol: 
Or customs, confiscating things. Although I think it will be ok with customs for they focus here on NOT EXPORTING scrap but there seems to be a kind of black hole when it comes to IMPORT of this. You simply seem to declare it as computer parts, etc. and it seems to be ok with the VAT (no duty).

Thanks in advance for shedding additional light on this by sharing your experiences made. :idea:


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## butcher (Nov 5, 2012)

It would probably be better to ask the security/customs what they allow and what the proceedure is to do this, than someone on the forum, that way you get the answer straight from the horses mouth.


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## AlZabrisky (Nov 5, 2012)

In most cases, it is best to ship your high grade scrap using a reputable carrier + broker, as opposed to bringing it with you on a commercial flight. May cost a bit more, but much less headaches dealing with customs, declarations paperwork etc. as well as the chances of it being confiscated are much greater.
The personnel you will encounter are familiar with dealing with people and personal effects. High grade scrap will most likely be new to them. On the other hand, by shipping it using a commercial service, it will be in the hands of those who are familiar with such products.


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## Irons2 (Nov 5, 2012)

I bought a one-way First Class ticket to Islamabad and paid for it with Cash once. I got a lot of attention for that.


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## nickvc (Nov 6, 2012)

I fear having a suitcase full of electronic looking parts will have you in serious trouble very quickly if they find it by X-ray scanning or by simply opening your bags.... I think shipping it would be the best course to take unless your want to spend some very uncomfortable time in a cell while the officials call in the security services.


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## patnor1011 (Nov 7, 2012)

They will get suspicious you can put a bet on that.
I once went on flight from one eu country to another. I had few packets with IC chips like 50 chips on tray x 5 trays and packed in foil like plastic. It looked like brick. I had 4 of them, properly labeled of what is inside. That package is sealed with some special gas inside, cant be opened and if opened you have to do it in cetrain humidity and temperature and have like 90 minutes to solder them on board or they will be ruined. Something like that. I explained customs and security officers that if I open package it become worthless but it was a no go, they were adamant to see what is inside. Xray did not penetrate packaging. I was secretly laughing as I planned to incinerate them anyway, but I played unhappy computer technician who is going to have thousands of euro worth chips ruined by them... :twisted: 
They made me to open one package then spent 20 minutes touching other packages as they wanted to make sure they feel the same as opened one. 
And that was flight from one eu country to another eu country.


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## MMFJ (Nov 13, 2012)

Not sure about EU countries lately, but years ago I traveled with loads of boards that we classified as "replacements" for the parts we needed. One of our techs actually filled two suitcases once and flew from the US to Frankfort and on to Moscow. I took them from there and to the customer, where I got the old boards to return to the company. Oddly, we didn't have any issues, though in thinking it through, he should have been caught without the returns and I should have had a problem with all the 'extra' stuff that I hadn't brought in......

On my trip to Ecuador two months ago, I brought in all kinds of electronics (I sold everything in the US and only brought two suitcases, a carry on and a 'personal item', all which had electronics in them in one form or another). I did get tagged to open everything and even though I had a computer, a cell phone, video camera, tons of cables, a projector and a full set of microphone equipment (mixer and three wireless mics which I use for teaching seminars, etc.), they only asked me about the mics, which are all mounted to a back board and custom fit into the hand carry suitcase. As I wasn't sure if/when I'd teach a seminar in Ecuador (and I had no clue how to explain that in my 50 or so words of Spanish!), I told them it was for my other 'primary' use - to sing karaoke (which I had intentions of doing). As I said that, a lady customs official came by and said "Karaoke? OK", and a lot of other words in Spanish that I didn't understand, but the guy that was picking through all my stuff just waived me on and let me re-pack everything (pushing me over onto the floor to let someone else get inspected.....) Once I got in country, I found out that karaoke here is about as mainstay as popcorn at a movie theater in the US!

I've taken pretty much the same setup (microphones, projector, computer, etc.) on several trips across the US (and once to Australia, via New Zealand) and always "plan" on getting stopped at security. A few times I didn't, but was always ready and certainly most of the time they want to open the bag, etc. I'd just explain that I was a professional speaker and it was my equipment for the seminar. Once, though, I was asked about the wiring going into the microphone receivers and when I told them it was something I designed myself as a "battery replacement" with some wires soldered onto wooden posts and run to a power source on the main power strip, I got taken into the back room........ - seems TSA doesn't like comments about 'build it yourself' type stuff...... :shock: 

But, back to the Ecuador importing side, by the 'law', I was carrying too much to bring into the country and some of it should have been taxed and/or taken. I hadn't read the law before entering - never thought about there being a limit (after all, I wasn't doing anything "wrong" in my opinion and just never considered it). I am glad I didn't lose any of the stuff or have to pay a big fine to bring it in and certainly happy I didn't get tossed in jail!

You should really look at the current laws of the IMPORT side of where you are going as to what and how much you can bring into the country. It is very possible that there won't be a question about how much you take out, but bringing in is another story! And, the laws in each country vary, so check it out online (use search terms like "XCounty import law on electronics" - should be a good start).

One of the best things you can do though is to know that, should you unintentionally break the law, be honest and don't get in a fuss about it - letting them take it is much better than jail time!


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## NobleMetalWorks (Nov 17, 2012)

MMFJ said:


> On my trip to Ecuador two months ago, I brought in all kinds of electronics



You might want to check with the US State Department. When I was in international trade, before I shipped any electronics to any country, I always checked with the State Department first. Even before 911 the laws were very strict, specially in certain countries. I had to decline a purchase request for thousands of Nokia 3110s for the country of Cuba, even though they would have been shipped from China (they were knock offs) and straight to Cuba and I would only be brokering the deal.

Electronics, and commodities are also used by terrorist organizations as a form of currency. I once tried to conduct a sugar deal between Brazil and Dubai and was told by the State Department that as a US Citizen I was not legally allowed to sell to the party I was wanting to sell to. The one certificate that is transferred bank to bank was for 12,500 tons of sugar, per month, for three years. You can just imagine the value.

In this day an age I would be very concerned about what I took out of the country, or brought into any given country. If you are not careful, you might end up carrying something that is restricted or illegal no matter how benign you believe it is. Or you could run into tariff issues, or in the case of China, licensing stamps to bring the items into their country. It's dicey, and the laws are all goofy and difficult to understand so even communicating with the State Department might not be the only step you should take. Each US Embassy has staff that help with international trade. I used to check out companies I was dealing with by contacting the US Embassy in that country and getting information. You may want to call the US Embassy for whatever country you are bringing electronics into, so you not only understand the local laws or issues, but also what you are allowed to bring into the country.

Scott


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