( I ) BRINGING CUBAN CIGARS INTO THE U.S. - Legal Situation

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For over 30 years, it has been illegal to bring Cuban cigars into the United States. (There are a few minor exceptions for officially-sanctioned trips and diplomats, but if you were in that category, you wouldn’t have to read this, would you?) This rule applies, no matter where the cigars were purchased. Americans can bring in up to 50 cigars from any other country in the world, however Canadians can bring back up to 50 cigars from any country in the world, including Cuba, when they return to Canada.

Penalties
If you are caught bringing back Cuban cigars into the U.S. for personal consumption, the cigars will be confiscated. Technically, they can fine you or jail you, but this hasn’t happened in 30 years. It should be noted, however, that U.S. Customs has never defined "personal consumption", although the rule of thumb seems to be 3 or 4 boxes. If you are found to be bringing in larger volumes of cigars for commercial reasons, do so at your own risk!

Tricks of the trade
First of all, DON’T BE GREEDY. If you take back more than 3 or 4 boxes, you risk being fined. You must decide for yourself how much expense and effort you want to expend to protect your investment. Here are some options for you to consider:

1. For the extremely-lazy: Leave the cigars in the original box, with the original bands, and place them at the bottom of a purse (ideally) or at the bottom of a carry-on bag. If you’re caught, plead ignorance, since you didn’t think the "Cuba rule" applied for products purchased in Mexico.

2. For the moderately-lazy: Remove the cigars from original box and place in an empty Mexican cigar box of equal size. If stopped, claim they are from Mexico (may not work with Cohiba bands).

3. For the slightly-motivated: As above, but also remove the cigar bands. Impossible for U.S. Customs to determine origin. Unfortunately, neither can anyone else.

4. For the moderately-motivated: Remove the cigars and their bands and give them to a travel companion. Make sure you’re at least 10 people apart when you clear customs, and remember you’re traveling alone. If either person gets questioned, you shouldn’t have any trouble. Re-unite the band, cigars, and box when you return to the States.

5. For the highly-motivated: For every box of Cuban cigars you buy, buy a similar size box of Mexican cigars. Swap bands and boxes. Enjoy the Mexican cigars when you are in Mexico, and you can bring the Cuban cigars back undetected. Takes a little time and investment, but its virtually foolproof.

Q: What is the mildest cigar you have?
A: The mildest Cuban cigar we have is the Montecristo. The Santa Clara is a mild, hand-rolled Mexican cigar. They’re similar to a Macanudo or a Dominican cigars

Q: Can I take Cuban cigars back to be the States?
A: Legally, no. But everyone does. If you are worried, remove the cigar band and say it is from Mexico.

Q: What happens if I get caught bringing in Cuban cigars?
A. If you’re just bringing in a few boxes or less, they’ll confiscate them.

Q: How do I know that they are real Cuban cigars?
A: The most important factor is where you buy the cigars. For example, the owner of AllStar Cigars works with suppliers that import cigars directly from Cuba every week. He checks each box personally for correct box seals, cigar sizes and colors, cigar bands, proper boxes and many other details. AllStar Cigars is one of the biggest suppliers in Cabo. If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Q: Why are Cuban cigars so expensive?
A: They are a handmade product and there is a worldwide shortage of Cuban cigars. Its the old story of supply and demand. Typically our cigars sell for less than half what they cost in the United States.

Q: Why can I buy the same cigar cheaper somewhere else?
A: This is a very competitive business, but we won’t be undersold. Remember, you have to compare apples to apples. What kind of place are you buying them from? Do you have confidence they are real? Are they fresh, and have they been stored in a humidor? In general, you get what you pay for. How much was this cigar elsewhere? (If realistic, we will beat price).

Q: What’s the best way of transporting cigars?
A: A travel humidor. You can make a cheap one by putting a damp sponge in Tupperwear. Don’t let the cigars make direct contact with the sponge.

Q: How can I tell if a cigar is fresh?
A: Gently squeeze it. If it is hard or crunches, it is dry, stale, and has not been stored in a humidor.

Many of our customers are concerned about differentiating between real and fake Cuban cigars. Considering the price of Cuban cigars, we certainly understand why!

AllStar Cigars has put this information together to help educate our customers. We hope you find it interesting and informative.

HERE ARE THE 7 WAYS TO TELL REAL FROM FAKES :

1. Government stickers
2. Factory and date codes
3. Cigar bands
4. Cigar boxes
5. Cigar sizes
6. Cigar packaging
7. Common sense

In addition, possibly the most important decision you make is where you purchase the cigars. You are more likely to find real Cuban cigar in an established tobacco shop which has a good reputation, humidified storage, and knowledgeable staff. Some shops even offer guarantees. For example, at AllStar Cigars, if you can show we have a fake Cuban for sale, we will immediately take the fake cigar off the shelf, and give you a free Cuban cigar of your choice.

Let’s take a more detailed look at the 7 ways to separate real Cubans from fakes:

1. Government stickers. There are 3 different types: green, white, and black. The attached article deals with the green and white stickers. The new black stickers were added in July, 1997 and say "AQUI, Su Garantia, Habanos, Unicos desde 1492". They are self adhesive stickers applied to the front of the box.

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2. Factory codes. These are stamped on the bottom of the box and indicate the place and date of manufacture. For example, FPG OSSC means the cigars were made at the Partagas plant in September 1997.

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3. Cigar bands. The bands should all be facing front, at roughly the same height. There are many fake bands. One of the more common fakes are the Cohiba band that has a single (instead of double row) of white cubes above the letters "Cohiba". Another is the Romeo y Julieta band that doesn’t have embossed print.

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4. Cigar boxes. The finish of the box, its dimensions, its clasp, and its cedar liner should all authentic. A couple of things to watch for: 1) real Cubans have cedar liners with a tiny curved section (not straight) removed from the top right hand corner; 2) Cohibas have unvarnished bottoms.

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5. Cigar sizes. Cuban cigars are made to exact size specifications. These specifications are listed in cigar reference books, such as Cigar Afficianado. For example, a Cohiba Robusto is 5" long and has a ring gauge of 50 (i.e. a width of 50/64 inches). Fakes are often too short, too thin, or vary in size too much. Ask the store if they have a reference book and a ruler.

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6. Cigar packaging. Cuban cigars are packaged in boxes with other cigars of roughly the same color. If there is a slight variation in shade, the cigars will be packed from left to right in order of increasing lightness of color. They will be packed very tightly, sometimes giving an almost squarish shape to the cigar. Real Cuban handmade cigars are never individually wrapped in cellophane. Screw tops on individual aluminum tubes don’t easily fall off. (Although, occasionally, even real Cuban seem to have this problem).

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