Exporting UK bike from US
 

I've come north from S America throught the US to Canada and am going back to the US to fly the bike to S Africa.

Thing is, the shipper insists I have temporary import papers to submit to UC customs on the way out, but AFAIK there's no such animal.

Total inefficiency of US border staff aside (don't get me started), even the website basically says there's nowt.

Anyone know different?

In my view you cant export the bike from the us, because you never imported it there. or have you registered it as a us bike ????

No, not registered as US bike, I'm just 'passing through' as they say. I've tried ringing the Customs people but it takes hours of fighting through menus and lift muzak to find out nothing at all.

I think I may join the truck queue on my way back into the US. It's also probably the only way I'll get an I94 and a proper entry stamp. When I entered from Mexico it took me ages to find an immigration man and tell him what paperwork I needed for my visa waiver and stuff. Probably the most disorganised border I've been through so far on this trip.

In 2000 my bike arrived in a box at New Jersey. To get it out of the dockyard, my agent insisted I go to US customs (for NY City it was at No. 6 World Trade Centre) to get clearance/Temporary Import Permit. Customs were very professional and all was easy. I know this doesn't help you, but there is a procedure/form, or at least there was in 2000.

When leaving into Mexico, neither US custom, nor immigration knew anything about anything and I had to tell them their job. The Mexicans were very clued up.

Ride safely,

ChrisB

Hi Chris

I agree, the Mexicans are much more organised; in fact, almost every country, however small, is much more organised. The US Dept of Total Obscurity, sorry, Homeland Security, seems not to take much notice of land borders.

My trouble is that the shipper says I'll need paperwork for Customs to get the bike out of the US (I'm flying her to Cape Town), which was another reason for me to leg it to Canada so I can go back into the US again and try to persuade someoone at the border to sort papers for me. That is, if I can actually find anyone.

When I crossed the bridge from Detroit there was no-one to hand the green card thingy to, so the nice Canadian immigration chap promised to send it back for me.