Thread: Buy and fly with US thermal

I’m off to the US for a couple weeks. Thought I’d grab a FLIR thermal monocular when I’m there. I heard it might be a problem to fly home to NZ with? Any advice?

Usually pretty strict on taking units out of the U.S, for Night vision gear even equipment made outside of the U.S and them imported in needs a ITAR regulation clearance to extract it from the U.S. I know thermal was the same when I used to import. removing a Night vision unit without ITAR clearance if Gen2 or above carried up to 26 years imprisonment, was the same for thermal.
Cross your T`s and Dot your I`s.

We tried to export thermals out of USA a few years ago. State department declined our export permits. You’d be risking a good chunk of your life in prison.

ITAR and EAR regulations. Been dealing with them for a while. Good luck with that

FLIR exporthttp://www.flircameras.com/export_conditions

Originally Posted by YosemiteSam

FLIR exporthttp://www.flircameras.com/export_conditions

So did you know that before you asked the question?

I just grabbed a USA branded thermal from a guy who bought it on Amazon in June this year. No trouble with the shipping apparently.
It was also a sh** ton cheaper that just about anything in NZ at the time

Originally Posted by Tasbay

So did you know that before you asked the question?

I wouldn’t have wasted our time asking then.

Not sure what the US government’s problem would be with that…. After all they just gifted the taliban $7 billion worth of equipment, which included 16,000 sets of night vision goggles.

strategic trade authorised country: new zealand.

no permit needed imo.

Originally Posted by Ruger

Not sure what the US government’s problem would be with that…. After all they just gifted the taliban $7 billion worth of equipment, which included 16,000 sets of night vision goggles.

You missed a zero off the amount: They left seventy BILLION bucks worth of mil kit in country. And that's 'Merica $$ too

When dealing with ITAR it pays to remember that almost no one really understands how the regulations work and the way the legal system works it's up to the individual to ensure they comply with the rules.
So most people would rather not take the risk as if you get it wrong you are in the shit and ITAR takes no responsibility for you misinterpreting their stupid rules.

If 55six struggled to export the thermals through ITAR then chances are you have no hope of exporting one personally.

If you bought it bake in hand lugage the chances are you'll be fine, the TSA are the ones who will be checking your bags and for the most part they don't know or care what the ITAR rules.
The safest way would probably be to post it to yourself and hope that the postal company doesn't pick it up.

If you want to save money by exporting a thermal you could try contacting https://www.optics-trade.eu/nz/ they can export some thermals I believe.

Pack in with camera gear
Take on as handluggage

Originally Posted by Sharki

Pack in with camera gear
Take on as handluggage

x2


Brought home a military grade device (thermal) from OZ thru customs a couple of times and all went OK.
However, I was prepared to lose the device if things went south.

Oz NZ not the USA.They think every thermal or day scope against them.