9804.00.20
Wearing apparel, articles of personal adornment, toilet articles and similar personal effects; all the foregoing, if actually owned by and in the possession of such person abroad at the time of or prior to his departure for the United States, and if appropriate for his own personal use and intended only for such use and not for any other person nor for sale
Classification path
- Articles imported by or for the account of any person arriving in the United States who is not a returning resident thereof
- Wearing apparel, articles of personal adornment, toilet articles and similar personal effects; all the foregoing, if actually owned by and in the possession of such person abroad at the time of or prior to his departure for the United States, and if appropriate for his own personal use and intended only for such use and not for any other person nor for sale
Rates of duty
- General (MFN)
- Free
- Column 2Cuba, North Korea, Russia, Belarus
- Free
- Unit of quantity
- n/a
Related lines in heading 9804
- 9804.00.05Books, libraries, usual and reasonable furniture and similar household effects, if actually used abroad by him or by him and his family not less than one year, and not intended for any other person, or for saleFree
- 9804.00.10Professional books, implements, instruments and tools of trade, occupation or employment, which have been taken abroad by him or for his accountFree
- 9804.00.15Professional books, implements, instruments and tools of trade, occupation or employment (not including theatrical scenery, properties or apparel, and not including articles for use in any manufacturing establishment, for any other person or for sale), owned and used by him abroadFree
- 9804.00.25Not over 50 cigars, or 200 cigarettes, or 2 kilograms of smoking tobacco or a proportionate amount of each, and not over 1 liter of alcoholic beverages, when brought in by an adult nonresident for his own consumptionFree
- 9804.00.30Not exceeding $100 in value of articles (not including alcoholic beverages and cigarettes but including not more than 100 cigars) accompanying such person to be disposed of by him as bona fide gifts, if such person has not claimed an exemption under this subheading 9804.00.30 within the 6 months immediately preceding his arrival and he intends to remain in the United States for not less than 72 hoursFree
- 9804.00.35Automobiles, trailers, aircraft, motorcycles, bicycles, baby carriages, boats, horse-drawn conveyances, horses and similar means of transportation, and the usual equipment accompanying the foregoing; any of the foregoing imported in connection with the arrival of such person and to be used in the United States only for the transportation of such person, his family and guests, and such incidental carriage of articles as may be appropriate to his personal use of the conveyanceFree
- 9804.00.40Not exceeding $200 in value of articles (including not more than 4 liters of alcoholic beverages) accompanying such a person who is in transit to a place outside United States customs territory and who will take the articles with him to such placeFree
- 9804.00.45All personal and household effects taken abroad by him or for his accountFree
- 9804.00.50Articles of metal (including medals, trophies and prizes), bestowed upon him abroad, as honorary distinctions, by foreign countries or citizens of foreign countriesFree
- 9804.00.55Game animals (including birds and fish) killed abroad by him and imported by him for noncommercial purposesFree
- 9804.00.60Automobiles rented by any resident of the United States while abroad and imported for the transportation of such resident, his family and guests, and such incidental carriage of articles as may be appropriate to his personal use of the automobileFree, for such temporary periods as the Secretary of the Treasury by regulation may prescribe
- 9804.00.65Articles, accompanying a person, not over $800 in aggregate fair retail value in the country of acquisition, including (but only in the case of an individual who has attained the age of 21) not more than 1 liter of alcoholic beverages and including not more than 200 cigarettes and 100 cigarsFree
About heading 9804
Articles imported by or for the account of any person arriving in the United States from a foreign country
Heading 9804 covers duty-free entry of personal, household, professional and travel-related articles imported by or for a person arriving in the United States from abroad. It is split by article type and traveler situation, including used household effects, tools of trade, wearing apparel, tobacco and alcohol allowances, gifts, vehicles, articles acquired on the trip, replacement articles, crew effects and effects from a deceased citizen's estate.
Full guide to heading 9804Products in this heading
- Used household furniture owned and used abroad for at least one year
- Professional books and tools of trade taken abroad by the traveler
- Personal wearing apparel owned abroad and intended for the traveler's own use
- Automobile brought in by an arriving traveler for personal transportation
- Bona fide gifts accompanying a traveler and valued not over $100
- Cigars, cigarettes and alcohol within the traveler allowance
- Medal or trophy awarded abroad as an honorary distinction
- Game animal killed abroad and imported for noncommercial purposes
Frequently asked questions
What is the HTS code for used household furniture brought back by a returning resident?
Used household furniture and similar household effects owned and used abroad by the traveler for at least one year are classified under 9804.00.05, general (MFN) rate Free.
What is the duty on personal clothing owned abroad and worn by an arriving traveler?
Personal wearing apparel and similar personal effects owned abroad and intended only for the traveler's own use are classified under 9804.00.20, general (MFN) rate Free.
How do I classify professional tools taken abroad and brought back by the traveler?
Professional books, implements, instruments and tools of trade taken abroad by the traveler or for the traveler's account are classified under 9804.00.10, general (MFN) rate Free.
Source: USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule, retrieved October 21, 2026.