What do the customs agents mean when they ask you if you have anything to declare?

Question

Is this question related to the items you buy at the duty-free shops?

Answer 1

It seems to me that this is a perfectly straightforward question.  You simply tell the customs people what you have in your bags and let them decide what requires further investigation.

Answer 2

They would mostly like to know if you are entering with more than $10,000 USD, have any types of plants (which could cause massive agricultural damage here), or if you have any type of conviction from another country.

You are technically supposed to declare if you have more than 1000 cigarettes, more than 1 liter of liquor, or more than $400 worth of gifts.  But it is not as big of an issue.

Answer 3

Cam is almost there but not quite. The question is short hand for "Do you have anything on which duty should be charged, which may be illegal to bring into the country or of which you are unsure"