Crossing Canadian border with food and beverage?
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US-bound avoid produce, meat and anything unsealed (e.g. homemade sandwiches). Sealed snack foods will be fine.
US concerns are primarily agricultural, and of course certain "herbal" products that are legal in both Washington and British Columbia.
US concerns are primarily agricultural, and of course certain "herbal" products that are legal in both Washington and British Columbia.
I'll bet the legality of weed on both sides of the border drives the drug dogs nuts. Even if the careful traveler makes sure to clean his person and possessions, the smell lingers.
I cross the Canadian border a lot, both on the Cascades and driving. Commercially processed foods are fine. A bottle of wine per person is allowed duty free, although remember you are not permitted to consume it onboard the Cascades.
Fresh fruits and vegetables is hit and miss. Some are allowed, some are not. I just don't bring fresh food across and avoid the issue entirely.
Meat, cooked or raw, other than commercially processed meats like lunch meat, just no. Some is actually allowed, most is not. Unless you are willing to study, just no.
The most important thing is to declare food, even if it was originally acquired in the US and is just coming back. If something isn't allowed, they'll just seize and destroy it, but you will not be in any kind of trouble if you declare it. If you don't declare it and they find it, you could be fined, and the incident recorded so you can look forward to more trips to secondary inspection in the future.
I usually take snacks with me when I drive, crackers, packaged cheese and such,always declare it, and never have a problem. I don't usually bring food with me on the train, although I have on occasion. But what is allowed and not allowed, and what interests customs agents is the same regardless of mode.
Always declare.
Fresh fruits and vegetables is hit and miss. Some are allowed, some are not. I just don't bring fresh food across and avoid the issue entirely.
Meat, cooked or raw, other than commercially processed meats like lunch meat, just no. Some is actually allowed, most is not. Unless you are willing to study, just no.
The most important thing is to declare food, even if it was originally acquired in the US and is just coming back. If something isn't allowed, they'll just seize and destroy it, but you will not be in any kind of trouble if you declare it. If you don't declare it and they find it, you could be fined, and the incident recorded so you can look forward to more trips to secondary inspection in the future.
I usually take snacks with me when I drive, crackers, packaged cheese and such,always declare it, and never have a problem. I don't usually bring food with me on the train, although I have on occasion. But what is allowed and not allowed, and what interests customs agents is the same regardless of mode.
Always declare.
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PerRock
Engineer
It's still illegal federally in the US, so crossing the border into the US with any is a big no-no.
Coming south approaching the US border, at least in BC, they have posted large , "No Cannabis" signs with a leaf with a slash through it.
Ontario too.
the_traveler
Engineer
My sister once flew from Tokyo to Chicago. In the lounge in Tokyo, she put an apple in her bag to eat on the flight. But she forgot about it. Upon arrival in Chicago, that “contraband” apple was discovered and seized and destroyed.
That apple was from Washington state!
We can’t have those things in the USA!
dogbert617
OBS Chief
My sister once flew from Tokyo to Chicago. In the lounge in Tokyo, she put an apple in her bag to eat on the flight. But she forgot about it. Upon arrival in Chicago, that “contraband” apple was discovered and seized and destroyed.
That apple was from Washington state!
Ugh, I just don't get absurd security rules like that! That one (no fruit across the US/Canada border) is just as absolutely fregging absurd, as the no liquids rule is inside carry on bags taken through TSA security at airports. Ugh!
Well, to be fair, Washington state has a huge orchard fruit industry, and importation of any pests could be a multi-multi-million dollar fiasco. We actually have apple maggot quarantine rules about transporting home-grown apples within the state!
By the way, if you have Global Entry, be particularly careful about accidentally violating the importation of food rules. Flyertalk has been full of posts where an inadvertent minor violation was cause for terminating Global Entry privileges. So I declare everything edible--since the forms ask whether you have any "food"--and I got yelled at for wasting time when I declared a bag of hard candy. I'd rather waste custom agent time than lose Global Entry>
By the way, if you have Global Entry, be particularly careful about accidentally violating the importation of food rules. Flyertalk has been full of posts where an inadvertent minor violation was cause for terminating Global Entry privileges. So I declare everything edible--since the forms ask whether you have any "food"--and I got yelled at for wasting time when I declared a bag of hard candy. I'd rather waste custom agent time than lose Global Entry>
Devil's Advocate
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I don't see a problem with this. There is no practical method for them to independently verify where the apple came from, and even if it did come from Washington state it could have become a host for foreign pests while in Japan. Invasive species are a major problem that is wrecking havoc over much of the world and has little chance of being fixable after the fact.My sister once flew from Tokyo to Chicago. In the lounge in Tokyo, she put an apple in her bag to eat on the flight. But she forgot about it. Upon arrival in Chicago, that “contraband” apple was discovered and seized and destroyed. That apple was from Washington state!
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Yes, I know it's illegal federally and illegal to cross the border with it, which is why the careful traveler makes sure that he has none on his persons and possessions. But the smell may linger, especially to a drug dog.
There are also agricultural inspections for people driving into California from other states. A couple of years ago we entered California from Oregon When we drove past a little town near the state line called Dorris, there was an inspection station. I forget what they asked us, but they waved us through even though we had a picnic cooler full of fresh food, including fruit. Most of the food had been purchased in California (we were only in Oregon for one night), but we had stopped at the supermarket that morning in Grant's Pass and picked up a few things.My sister once flew from Tokyo to Chicago. In the lounge in Tokyo, she put an apple in her bag to eat on the flight. But she forgot about it. Upon arrival in Chicago, that “contraband” apple was discovered and seized and destroyed.
That apple was from Washington state!
The funny thing was that we had already been driving around in California for half the day before the inspection, mostly visiting Lava Beds National Monument, and if we had taken some back roads to get to our destination of Mt. Shasta, we would have bypassed the inspection completely.
I'm not sure about the benefit that the ag inspection stations provide. Maybe the real concerns are large truckloads of stuff that are more likely to contain enough pests to make a difference.
the_traveler
Engineer
When I lived in Arizona, I lived in Bullhead City. The easiest way to get there from other parts of AZ (such as Phoenix or Flagstaff) was via Needles, CA and crossing the bridge over the Colorado River - not more than 1/2 mile off I-40.
Before you get to Needles along I-40, there is a CA Agricultural Stop. All I told them was that I was going home to Bullhead City - and they waved me thru! Even if I had bags of groceries in the back seat.
How did they know I was not being dishonest and was going to Needles, Barstow or even LA?
Before you get to Needles along I-40, there is a CA Agricultural Stop. All I told them was that I was going home to Bullhead City - and they waved me thru! Even if I had bags of groceries in the back seat.
How did they know I was not being dishonest and was going to Needles, Barstow or even LA?
California has a 30 Billion dollar agriculture industry. They stop 20 million private vehicles and 7 million trucks a year. They are dead serious about protecting it. Citrus fruits are not allowed. It varies with other fruits and where they are from.
NS VIA Fan
Conductor
Cannabis is federally regulated here and legal (with restrictions) in all provinces and territories. Just don't cross an international border with it! You'll see a sign similar to this when boarding the Cascades in Vancouver......
In my province it's sold at the Liquor Commission.... which led to a conversation I overheard last summer between a tourist and a clerk at the check-out when purchasing his beer:
“I see that sign Cannabis over there......is that Marijuana?”
“Yes”
“And the Government lets you sell it?”
“We are the Government!”
>>>>>>>
I know of only one province here that has an agricultural inspection and that is the Island of Newfoundland. Vehicles are checked before boarding the ferry for any plants or root vegetables that might contain soil and if a vehicle is particularly dirty....the wheel wells will be power-washed and mats and carpets vacuumed. They're trying to keep the potato wart found in Newfoundland soil from spreading to other provinces.
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Devil's Advocate
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Similar situation to commercially manufactured prescription drugs. Legal for sale and use in both countries but illegal to import into America's punitive medical market.
tricia
Conductor
Maybe not always? I recently had no trouble declaring and bringing with me a bottle of prescription antibiotics bought in Mexico, when walking back into the US at the Mexico border.
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Just. Don't. Do. It.
Eat before leaving Canada. Eat again in the USA. It's not a multi-day coast-to-coast journey folks.
Eat before leaving Canada. Eat again in the USA. It's not a multi-day coast-to-coast journey folks.
Devil's Advocate
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I once asked about it while crossing and was told that the importation of prescription drugs for personal use is still illegal under federal law despite being legalized in some border states. Looking online the primary flags appear to be "more than a small amount for personal use" (interpreted as a 90 day supply) and/or "re-importation of US stock" (determined by label coding).
Also, in some countries there are drugs available over the counter that in the US require a prescription, and I guess our border authorities don't want you to be bringing that in.
I suppose re-importation of prescription drugs you obtained in the US wouldn't be a problem. Once, right before I took a trip to the UK, I banged up my finger in a car door. The doc in the ER gave me a prescription for Tylenol with codeine, the bottle of which I took over to Britain and returned with it back to the US. I had no problem going through either border crossing. Of course, the pills were in their original bottle from the pharmacy, with a label clearly showing it was a prescription for me.
Now when I travel, I take a whole pharmacy along with me. Well, it's really not that bad, just 3 I take every day, and one I take "as needed," which is maybe once or twice a month. I've taken them over to Canada, and wasn't even asked about them. Come to think about it, I didn't even think about the prescription drugs in my luggage.
tricia
Conductor
This was definitely less than a 90-day supply, and obviously for personal use--week's course of antibiotics after dental work. The Customs agent asked if I was bringing in any prescription narcotics--the procedure might be different in that case.
Metra Electric Rider
Engineer
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I brought back over the counter Iburon (portuguese Ibuprofren ) from a pharmacist with no issues, despite being non-over-the-counter here. And I remember bringing back Day & Night Nurse from the UK (over the counter medicated Nyquill equivalent, from chemist only).
But years ago my dad argued with the customs inspector in NYC when he tried to bring in the Sunkist oranges (Florida I think) we were given on the QEII (yeah, I know, humble brag, this was back in the 70's, my mom wouldn't fly back then). He pitched a fit and ate it in front of the inspector..
But years ago my dad argued with the customs inspector in NYC when he tried to bring in the Sunkist oranges (Florida I think) we were given on the QEII (yeah, I know, humble brag, this was back in the 70's, my mom wouldn't fly back then). He pitched a fit and ate it in front of the inspector..
crescent-zephyr
Engineer
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??? I had some snacks leftover my trip to Vancouver. I just wrote them down and that was that. No sense in wasting it.
Trying to coordinate an extended family trip to Vancouver with train back to Seattle but traveling with my 5 year old with life threatening food allergies (peanut/treenuts and goat milk aka feta type cheese).. trying to figure what in the world to pack to feed him that's safe, not entirely junk and be allowed through customs. Any suggestions as a frequent border crosser?
