Originally Posted by
Sewnoma
I've never traveled abroad - if someone from the UK came to the US and then brought home a couple suitcases full of fabric for their own use, would they have to pay some sort of import tax on it?
Yes. First of all, most airlines only allow one suitcase per person now, even overseas. So you'd have to pay extra for travelling with more than one suitcase (plus hand luggage). There is also a limit for importation, which is probably different in every country. Here, it's about $300. So if you bring home things with a total value over that amount, you have to declare it and pay for it. There are special guidelines for food, alcohol and tobacco as well.