Now, Cancun Has the Customs Banditos

For several years, Mexican customs at the Cabo San Lucas airport has been randomly checking the luggage of arriving travelers and collecting big duties, or, as they say, taxes from underwater photographers. While some readers have had to pay hundreds of dollars to customs agents to leave the airport, we reported in July how a reader negotiated what started as a 19 percent tax on all his photo gear down to $57. While there seems to be a law behind the customs agents, they're bilking whoever they can.

The "enforcement" seems to have been confined to Cabo, but now we've heard from an arriving photographer in Cancun who got fleeced for a $500 fee before he could enter Mexico.

On July 14, Tai Olayori (Haslet, TX) arrived at Cancun International Airport and was pulled aside by customs. They informed him that while his camera was tax-exempt, he had to pay taxes on his lenses, housings, strobes, and other gear.

Olayori said, "They even tried to tax my drysuit because I also had a wetsuit, even after I explained that it was for cenote dives and the wetsuit for warmer ocean dives.

"Customs argued that a full-frame camera could function underwater without a lens or housing, so I had to show them a picture of my complete setup to prove it was a single unit. They also wanted to tax my backup mask until I explained it was a necessary safety measure.

"In my frustration, I asked if they could just deport me, but they said they would confiscate my gear instead. Ultimately, I had to pay over $500 in taxes for my equipment.

"Fellow underwater photographers, be prepared for this if you're traveling to Cancun."

And that doesn't bode well for divers heading to Cozumel.

Undercurrent first wrote about this officious swindle in October 2019 (https://tinyurl.com/447n2tb7). The rules then appeared to be: You are allowed to temporarily import up to two cameras or two video cameras (or a combination of the two) for personal use. A GoPro or similar POV camera counts as one. Drones over 4 pounds require a permit and license and cannot be flown in protected areas or natural parks without a permit obtained in advance. In addition, you may bring a laptop, notebook, omnibook, or similar; a portable copier or printer; a CD burner; and a portable projector with its accessories. Any more than that, and you will be hit with a stiff tax.

There may be one solution for a traveler, though we have no evidence. Mexico joined the ATA Carnet system in 2011, and if you have a lot of equipment, a carnet - often referred to as an international passport for goods - may be a way to avoid the "tax" for temporarily importing expensive photography equipment. USCIB (United States Council for International Business) was appointed by the Treasury Department in 1969 to operate and manage the ATA Carnet system in the United States. An ATA Carnet may be obtained from USCIB's two authorized Carnet service providers: Boomerang Carnets and Roanoke. www.atacarnet.com

- John Bantin