Border crossing report

[Xcalaker]

Border crossing report

We stayed in Laredo, TX night of Dec 27 at La Quinta (dog friendly) on Bob Bullock Expressway, dinner at La Palenque

Mexican which is right in the parking lot. All very good!

Drove the FM 1742 to Colombia Bridge avoiding the toll road.

Arrived at Colombia at 8:00AM Monday Dec 28.

Immigration opened at 8:15 and we were FMT worthy in 5 min. Only one other person in line besides us.

No questions about our dog what so ever. (we did have a Certificate of Health from our vet...$60 down the tubes.)

Had already received my temporary vehicle and trailer permit via INTERNET

(Cost: $50.24 USD) so we didn't have to deal with that at the border. Big time saver.

Customs ladies opened up about 8:25AM. I had very meticulously documented on a spreadsheet HERE the entire contents

and respective 'yard sale' prices of our dutiable items. I had created a tie on 'tag' for every item containing the item or box number

and a description.(OK, probably over the top I admit).

I also downloaded a blank Pago de Contribuciones from HERE

and this is what mine looked like HERE

I handed all of this to the young customs lady agent. She spoke a fair a amount of English, my Spanish is marginal.

She was quite impressed with all the homework I had done but still wanted to look in our PACKED trailer.

After a quick glance in the trailer she asked me why I needed so much stuff for a 180 day visit. I told her we already

had a home in Mexico that we completely furnished in Mexico but that we had sold our house stateside and were moving

to Mexico but we did not have our FM3 but were planning on getting them while in Mexico. She poked around the trailer

for a minute or two then told me everything was OK.

We went back into the office and using the documents I gave her, she began to transcribe them onto a new blank form.

After some discussion with her co-worker, they said I could only claim $75 per person personal exemption, not the $300

per person exemption I was led to believe was the correct amount to use during the 'holidays'. She said the $300

exemption was only for Mexican nationals. I then noticed this info was written on a white board in the aduana office.

OK.. so my net 'valor' was $2,527. At 15% duty, that would translate to a total duty of $379.05 USD.

Here is where I got screwed somewhat. The posted exchange at the aduana window was 12.88Peso/1USD. That translated

to $4,882 pesos. I did not have that many pesos on me because it was my understanding I could pay the #379.05 in USD.

But the aduana ladies would only give me a 12peso/dollar purchase rate. So instead of paying $379.05 I had to pay $407.

No a real big deal,,,,just sharing my story.

Bottom line, we were on the road by 8:50AM.

All in all I don't know how much different it would have been in Laredo proper but I had been through Colombia

once before and knew my way around a little bit.

PS. I am sure there are many of you who probably think I was stupid to go through all that but I try to live my life

mostly through example. Since I expect foreigners coming into my country (USA) to live by and obey our rules and laws,

I would not expect anything less from myself.

Mexican Customs (Aduana) information http://www.aduanas.sat.gob.mx/aduana_mexico/2008/pasajeros/139_10134.html

[tobyjug]

Interesting report..some years ago I was checked by customs and paid a nominal amount, only to be stopped at the "other check point down the road" and then had to pay more, or take all the stuff out of may van..seems that even if you follow the rules someone wanted his share!!!

[Xcalaker]

Addendum.

At the 'interior' customs station.

We got a red light, I was waved over by a group of young agents,

I showed them my Duty Paid Receipt, they asked where I crossed,

I said Colombia, then just waived me on. No drama.

[saxet]

It seems this new group is enforcing the $75 more, I got hit with it last Oct at Bridge #2.