What does U.S. customs what me to claim when I come home?

Question

I'm currently studying abroad in Japan, but I will be coming home next month. I have some shirts I bought when I first got here and are pretty worn and old already. I've been here for half a year and I just don't know the scope of what they want. Anything I bought has pretty much been a living expense.

Answer 1

From my experience, they ask you to declare anything you bought for gifts that are greater than $400 USD. All you do is to list those items out. But if you bring back stuffs that you use for you life, I don't think you need to declare it.

Another thing is that you need to declare if you carry more than $10000 cash.

hope this helps.

Answer 2

If you bought the items in Japan and are bringing them home with you, you are expected to declare their value when you enter the U.S., even if you used them the entire time you were there.  The page linked below has a detailed description of every question asked on the customs form.

Answer 3

They pretty much just want to know why you were there, and what you did there. They are more interested in things such as did you have any contact with livestock or were you ever  on a farm, etc, so if something happens in the U.S. because of something from another country, they can track the things back. As long as you don't have any huge and expensive items and/or large amounts of money for somebody else in the US, then you are fine. I just got back from Europe recently and all they did was ask me a few questions about why I went and what I did, and then I had to fill out a small form to turn in on the way back. It asked things such as what is the total value of your souvenirs, etc. It was all very simple, so do not be worried! Just be prepared for a few questions and a form! :)