Postage to US from UK - camera lenses not allowed?

[philslizzy]

I've had a potential buyer from the US asking about a lens I'm selling. Normally I will not send abroad but he seems like a genuine guy who buys lots of odd and cheap photographic items. His feedback is four figures and 100%.

I looked for the price of sending things to US, surface mail is cheap and he'll probably be ok waiting a few weeks, but there are restrictions and prohibitions on almost everything going into the US, including - it seems- photographic apparatus and lenses.

see this link and click on 'prohibitions' http://www.royalmail.com/united-states-america

here is a screenie of the section I'm concerned about.



Any advice would be great.
Thanks

[scsambrook]

Seems strange - I think you'd need to check with a 'real human being' at Royal Mail. Such items certainly aren't prohibited from importation into the USA - in fact, they are liable for the payment of import duty in some circumstances. Not all the Royal Mail web info is crystal clear. Unless the website's been revised, the rules about lithium batteries could be read as banning them from the post, but in fact photographic batteries in a device are exempt from prohibition. So don't be dispirited just yet! Still, it is another complication . . .

[philslizzy]

I've told the guy I'm not selling it to him, UK only in my listing means exactly that.

The post office always ask if there are batteries in my camera and would not accept the parcel when I said yes. As far as I see, batteries sealed in a device or new in the original packaging are allowed but both my local PO's wont accept them. I tell them its a sprocket for a bike. They're happy with that.

[JJB]

There are lots of UK sellers of lenses who sell to the US - I've just never been fortunate to win one of those auctions. So I'm assuming it's possible. Perhaps it's the battery issue, as already mentioned?

I also notice that clocks, watches, and musical instruments are forbidden? That seems a little strange.

I would also call and speak to a human.

[mdarnton]

It took some tracking, but the full list is international, and here:
http://www.upu.int/uploads/tx_sbdownloader/listCustomsProhibitedArticlesEn.pdf

As you start to read it you will see that Section XVIII has the heading you quoted, but that is not the law, it's just the heading for a category of items, and it appears for every country, with different "outlawed" items specified for each country. Under that heading are the specific prohibited items ub-categories, listed as Chapters (which are contained within the sections), and it's pretty boring.

Section XVIII Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical
instruments and apparatus; clocks and watches; musical instruments; parts and accessories
thereof

Chapter 90 Optical, photographic, cine matographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical
instruments and apparatus; parts and accessories thereof

Heading HS Code ■ Prohibited articles

90.18 Articles intended to prevent conception or produce unlawful abortion, as well as prints of all kinds
furnishing information on that subject.

90.22 Radiation-emitting electronic products.
■ Articles admitted conditionally
See Part II, § 5.5, and Part III, § 4.

Chapter 91 Clocks and watches and parts thereof
Heading HS Code

etc. etc. etc.

No mention of lenses. Lenses presumably would be in Chapter 90.0 to 90.17, which subsections have nothing at all listed.

[Attila]

I sold several times to USA , lenses, cameras always by Air Mail, never had ever any single trouble.

[scsambrook]

I am not a lawyer of any sort, but I think the answer to this seemingly illogical prohibition lies in the wording of ISO Alpha-2 Code: AR: i.e
Part I: List of articles prohibited as imports (or in transit) or admitted conditionally - - Thanks to mdarnton for digging up that material!

In the case of the USA, at least, photographic items MAY be liable to import duty or some other tax, hence they are allowed into the country conditionally. There is also a rather arcane issue about trade marks being registered in the USA, but I think that's of less significance here. As Phil rightly points out, the problem is actually getting the less-than-well-trained-clerks who now staff sub post offices to understand the details in the 'small print'. When we had a 'real' sub postmaster in our village he was clear about the rules - now we have a selection of multi-tasking Spar-shop assistants who aren't even sure what constitutes a large letter

[Lloydy]

[peterqd]

Put FIREARM in 1" high letters above the address panel. They'll accept that!

[philslizzy]

[Lloydy]

Our local post office closed recently, which is why we now have to deal with the muppets at the local Spar. But it's not all bad news, the old post office has just been reopened as a very nice upmarket booze shop!


A sign of the times I suppose, we can't post anything locally, but we can now buy very overpriced booze. That's the joy of living in a tourist trap....