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tacito

Jun 16, 2011, 10:23 AM

Post #1 of 8 (3598 views)

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Customs at Laredo problems

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I have a question about the regulations at the border in Laredo: I have been able for 4 years to declare the purchases I make in Laredo, pay the duty and cross at Bridge #2. This time the agents did not approve of my bags of dry pet food and wanted to take them even though I had declared them and paid the duty. I had about 10 bags of pet food in my car. After speaking with the agent in charge who speaks perfect English, he said I could only bring in one bag of pet food; that bridge #2 in for tourism, and that I would need to go to bridge #3 in the future to get a permit to bring in more than one bag of pet food. Does anyone understand the rules about this situation? There is a two hour wait behind the Pisanos who are carrying tons of stuff on their trucks that they carry into Mexico without trouble. They are not tourists..so bridge #2 must not be only a port for tourists. Anyway, I have an FM3 . I will appreciate any information anyone has as this is a new and mistifying situation for me.
Thanks,
Tacito

robt65

Jun 16, 2011, 9:17 PM

Post #2 of 8 (3518 views)

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Re: [tacito] Customs at Laredo problems

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Hi Tacito,

I would sure like to know more about this also as I usually bring in 3 to 4 forty pound bags of Purina dry dog food when I come back to Mexico. I usually have been using the Anzalduas Bridge Crossing near Mission, TX. I hope this is not a whole Mexican entry Aduana problem. When I do come back to Mexico in August, I will follow up with my report on this also. Has anyone else had this problem? I am on an FM2, and I am wondering if that is going to make a difference also.

robt65

tacito

Jun 17, 2011, 6:39 PM

Post #3 of 8 (3429 views)

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Re: [robt65] Customs at Laredo problems

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Hi robt65,
I talked with an immigration advisor here in San Miguel today about my customs problem. He said there has always been a limit to what people can bring into Mexico; that it does not matter what your visa is ..FM2 or 3 or even it you are a Mexican citizen. He recommended that I go to bridge # 3 as the customs official told me to and that I should be able to bring my pet food in with a permit. I believe that there are just new people on duty in Laredo now that are enforcing the laws. I may try Mission if I cant get my food in at Laredo. There are just no specialty foods for cats in Mexico since cats are not considered pets but wild animals here. I had no problems for 4 years until now. I will report on what happens when I make another trip in a couple of months.
Tacito

robt65

Jun 17, 2011, 8:55 PM

Post #4 of 8 (3398 views)

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Re: [tacito] Customs at Laredo problems

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tacito,

I came across at Colombia # 2 at Christms (actually about 19 Dec) and I came through with 4 - 40 pound bags of Puring Dry Dog Chow. I wonder if you got an animal hater! (smiling) I always ring 4 bags of the same with me plus a few 10 pond bags of Meow Mix. So far, no problems. I hope this is a quirk because getting good quality pet food here isn't easy.

robt65

rockydog85251

Jun 18, 2011, 6:31 AM

Post #5 of 8 (3364 views)

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Re: [robt65] Customs at Laredo problems

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A little different subject, but for those wanting to check quality of dog food, some might be available "somewhere" in Mexico - here is a great link:

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/brand/
Willie

Altahabana

Jun 18, 2011, 6:47 AM

Post #6 of 8 (3358 views)

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Re: [tacito] Customs at Laredo problems

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It sounds like the Customs officer was saying you have to go through the full blown customs process for importing merchandise to Mexico. Under the official customs protocols, he may be correct (I have no idea what the regs say about this catagory of products), but it is surprising Aduanas would strictly apply the official regs to products obviously intended for personal use and not for commercial sale. I think you just got unlucky.

Just a note for clarification about the bridges in the area: In Nuevo Laredo, the World Trade Bridge is sometimes called Bridge 3 because it was the third international bridge between Laredo and Nuevo Laredo. However it is open only to commercial vehicles. On the US side Columbia Bridge is technically Bridge 3 because it was the third bridge in the City of Laredo Bridge System but nobody calls it that. It is the only bridge though that is open to both commercial and passenger vehicles, so maybe the officer meant to direct you there. Only the downtown bridges are referred to by numbers (#s 1-2) and they are not open to commercial vehicles.

(This post was edited by Altahabana on Jun 18, 2011, 7:02 AM)

tacito

Jun 18, 2011, 7:07 AM

Post #7 of 8 (3344 views)

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Re: [Altahabana] Customs at Laredo problems

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Altahabana,
Many thanks for the reply. The customs official is young and has only been there about 6 months. I asked him if he meant Columbia and he said "no"..bridge #3. There was an inspector who spied my bags of cat food who was the one who was very negative and said I was at the wrong bridge, that #2 was for tourists. I have considered going to bridge #1 next time with fewer bags and trying my luck there. Also I am considering going to what I now know is Columbia. The young official seems to be the one in charge and speaks perfect English. There may be some kind of tightening of rules.
Tacito

Altahabana

Jun 18, 2011, 7:35 AM

Post #8 of 8 (3332 views)

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Re: [tacito] Customs at Laredo problems

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As I said, on the Mexican side the World Trade Bridge is sometimes known as Bridge 3 and there is no way you are going to cross there if you are not in a commercial vehicle. The downtown bridges are for passenger vehicles only and that is where tourists would cross. He did not mean Bridge 2 was only for tourists.

I would not bother driving all the way to Columbia because it is the individual officer you draw, not the crossing, that matters. It is a highly discretionary process and again I can't believe they would go to that extreme over 10 bags of pet food.

(This post was edited by Altahabana on Jun 18, 2011, 8:25 AM)