Export Awareness for International Travelers
When you leave the United States, everything you take with you is an export, including devices, software, and data. Most of these items are subject to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).
This includes:
- Personal items: clothes, toiletries, articles of adornment, medicine, their containers, etc.
- Personal electronic devices: laptops, tablets, flash drives, smartphones, and the software installed on the devices (e.g., Windows, Adobe, DUO, etc.)
- Information: documents, drawings, data, etc.
- Tangible research items and materials: research items, such as equipment, may appear ‘more interesting’ and are more likely to draw attention from Customs or security officials.
What to know:
- Document your items: Document origin, ownership, and value. If you take a personal item of value, complete the 📄US Customs and Border Protection Form - CBP 4457 before you depart to avoid duties from being imposed upon your return. The form must be signed by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) before departure.
- Device inspection: ❗US Customs officials (and Customs in other countries) are authorized to search and retain electronic devices, including digital cameras, cell phones, media players, disk drives, and others, even without probable cause to look for violations of export controls as well as other laws and regulations.
- To prepare for this:
- Don’t carry data you don’t want others to see
- Don’t carry the only copy of anything you cannot afford to lose
- Have a Plan B
- Consider taking a clean laptop furnished by NDSU IT. For more information, see NDSU's [Link for document 100611 is unavailable at this time]
- To prepare for this: