What Not to Lug Home
Find out how to keep your luggage light and legal

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This article was published in Abroad View's fall 2009 magazine.

By Grace Weitz

When visiting another country, it’s hard to resist collecting shiny and intriguing knick knacks to bring home. But think twice: some of the items you want to throw in your suitcase may not be allowed back into the United States—or they might just weight you down.

Certain Foods
Every country has its own type of irresistible food. From Mediterranean tomatoes to Indian basmati rice, you may be tempted to bring your favorite treats into your dorm room. However, almost anything containing meat products will not be admitted into the country. Likewise, because fruits and vegetables (even those picked up in the airport before your flight) can be a home for insects, try to avoid bringing these back, as well. As a general rule, condiments, vinegars, oils, packaged spices, honey, coffee, and tea can make the trip back with you. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s website for Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service offers extensive information about bringing food and other products back into the country (www.medey.com/pdf/Travelers%20Tips.pdf). No luck? After you return, try to find a nearby ethnic store that carries the same products you enjoyed abroad.

Embargoed Goods
Travel to a country under a trade embargo may be inadvisable, or even downright illegal. But if you do find yourself in such a situation, be aware of the restrictions on bringing items home. Each country has its own special restrictions, but, in general, you cannot bring in any goods from the following countries: Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Serbia and Montenegro, North Korea, Burma (Myanmar), Angola, Liberia, Sudan, and Sierra Leone (diamonds only). For complete specifics, visit www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/pro hibited_restricted.xml#MerchandisefromEmbargoedCountries.

An Infectious Disease
The swine flu isn’t the only nasty bug you can catch in transit. Check the CDC Travelers’ site (www.cdc.gov/travel) for health alerts in more than 200 countries. Even if you take the necessary precautions and return home healthy, there are still a few other factors to consider. You can’t, for instance, donate blood if you’ve been to a malaria-risk country in the past year. Visit America’s Blood Centers’ website for full details: www.americas blood.org.

Special Artifacts
Ever heard of the curse of the Hawaiian lava rocks? Or the curse of the Uluru rocks from Australia? Who can forget the pharaoh’s tomb curse? Hang onto the memories, but leave behind the artifacts—it’s illegal to bring many of them back into the United States. For more information on what you can bring home visit this website: www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/prohibited_restricted.xml.

Extra Large Items
Try to keep your purchases packable. Shipping items home is doable but can also be an expensive hassle. If you do opt to mail, you’ll need to package your item to survive the bumpy ride home. Consider purchasing insurance in case it gets lost. Also, stay away from national courier services. While the United Kingdom’s Royal Mail Service is known for being reliable, Italy’s mail service is notoriously inefficient—along with that of dozens of other countries. International shipping is not cheap, so if you have to send it home, make it small.