Not sure the experience with people on this forum but I wanted to get some thoughts and advice. First being I understand no one here is a lawyer and for "real" advice I need to speak with one. But more looking to see if anyone has a similar experience or story they can share. We own a bliss mobil on a MAN TGM 13.290 in Europe. It is registered to a friends company in Europe. We have loved traveling through Europe and plan to continue on to Australia and then Africa. However we have a personal situation change that may necessitate us returning to the states for about a year this fall.
We would like to temporarily import our Bliss to the states for one year. This is where things get very grey and murky. Essentially all of the HS-7, EPA Exemption, and 3520-1 documents that I look at state that the vehicle is a foreign registered/owned vehicle and will only be imported for one year then must exit the NAFTA area (which it will). However the forms also have wording about the exemption being voided if the vehicle is used principally by anyone other than the owner. Additionally, the HS-7 and EPA exemption is a statement of fact that the importer is a nonresident. We are US residents. The company could import the vehicle but then it seems like we would be violating the section of not actually being the primary importer/driver. If we did the paperwork then we would be the importer but seems we would be disqualified as residents. It seems strange that if we were residents of any of 194 other countries this same process is just fine but being US residents it is not allowable.
This seems like just throwing a dart up in the air and seeing where it lands. I am already very wary of CBP and vehicle importation as they have the tendancy to sieze vehicles first and destroy them then ask questions. I have had a few people suggest to ship to Halifax and drive across. I don't understand why this process would be any different or simpler? Although I in fact today learned of a couple who is in an almost identical situation to us currently touring the US in a EU vehicle via Halifax and driving across. Does anyone have information on why a land border crossing would be much simpler than a port? If the US decides to deny the TIP at the border I assume they just turn you around back to Canada since it's a land border? I would strongly prefer not to have our house siezed at the border. Has anyone owned a vehicle in Europe and shipped it on a TIP to the states for a year? I appreciate anyone's thoughts, experiences, and suggestions.
We would like to temporarily import our Bliss to the states for one year. This is where things get very grey and murky. Essentially all of the HS-7, EPA Exemption, and 3520-1 documents that I look at state that the vehicle is a foreign registered/owned vehicle and will only be imported for one year then must exit the NAFTA area (which it will). However the forms also have wording about the exemption being voided if the vehicle is used principally by anyone other than the owner. Additionally, the HS-7 and EPA exemption is a statement of fact that the importer is a nonresident. We are US residents. The company could import the vehicle but then it seems like we would be violating the section of not actually being the primary importer/driver. If we did the paperwork then we would be the importer but seems we would be disqualified as residents. It seems strange that if we were residents of any of 194 other countries this same process is just fine but being US residents it is not allowable.
This seems like just throwing a dart up in the air and seeing where it lands. I am already very wary of CBP and vehicle importation as they have the tendancy to sieze vehicles first and destroy them then ask questions. I have had a few people suggest to ship to Halifax and drive across. I don't understand why this process would be any different or simpler? Although I in fact today learned of a couple who is in an almost identical situation to us currently touring the US in a EU vehicle via Halifax and driving across. Does anyone have information on why a land border crossing would be much simpler than a port? If the US decides to deny the TIP at the border I assume they just turn you around back to Canada since it's a land border? I would strongly prefer not to have our house siezed at the border. Has anyone owned a vehicle in Europe and shipped it on a TIP to the states for a year? I appreciate anyone's thoughts, experiences, and suggestions.
