Question about US customs from US protectorate

[cpisz]

Question. If I am sailing a US flagged vessel, with US crew from a protectorate like USVI or Puerto Rico to the US mainland without stopping in others countries, do I need to check in to the US through customs?

[redneckrob]

Originally Posted by cpisz

Question. If I am sailing a US flagged vessel, with US crew from a protectorate like USVI or Puerto Rico to the US mainland without stopping in others countries, do I need to check in to the US through customs?

From USVI, yes. From PR, no.

[BillKny]

Just a little bit of an expansion to redneckrob’s correct answer…

The USVI has special customs rules different from the mainland USA and PR. So you could buy things in the USVI on which you owe additional import duty when brought into the USA. That’s why the USVI are “special” in this regard.

To put a very fine point on it, you need customs clearance from the USVI but you do not need to clear immigration.

PR has the same customs rules as the US mainland, so no clearance of any kind is needed if you come directly from PR to a mainland USA port if you are a USA flagged vessel with all USA passport holders aboard. Just as if you sailed from New Jersey to Florida.

If you are a non-USA flagged vessel, or a vessel with non-USA passport holders as crew, I don’t know the rules…

[contrail]

Non USA passport holders are also OK. I have a delivery skipper friend who does this route frequently. In fact, he left Puerto Rico yesterday. He and crew are Brits. I don't know the boat flag or if that makes a difference.

[cpisz]

Interesting! Would buying a boat in the USVI incur any of these special import duties?

[cpisz]

Actually the boat is already US flagged so the answer is clearly NO.

[jmschmidt]

I had (before Covid) the online clearance set up with US Customs and Immigration. Went from Tortola BVI to St John to Culebra PR with online check ins. But watch out because Immigration will email you "Hey, no sweat dude, you and your entire happy US citizen crew are cleared into the US. Have a nice day." What they won't tell you is you may (will) need to clear in with customs if you stopped in the USVI even if you didn't buy any booze.