What am I allowed to buy abroad & take home?

Shopping abroad can easily become a minefield as travelers must consider what they are legally allowed to take out of a country and what they are legally allowed to bring back home. For starters, all countries have export watch lists which outlines the objects that will generally get travelers into trouble when they leave if they are not careful. These items can range from those made from endangered species (tortoiseshell, coral and ivory objects especially) to food products (which may also contain pests) to antiquities or cultural treasures – some of which can be taken out of the country so long as you obtain an export license (but again, this will vary from country to country and it does not mean that you will be able to bring the item back to your home country).

However, major global courier services maintain detailed profiles of all the countries they serve and what can and cannot be taken out of them. In addition, 169 countries have signed the 1973 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) where they agreed to forbid the sale of more than 5,000 animal species and 25,000 plant species and these items are listed on the treaty’s website.

In addition, Conde Nast Traveller has compiled a list of the types of items that can be bought in Asia but cannot be legal brought into the USA and hence, this list will give you a good idea of what you will probably not be allowed to bring to your home country even if its not the USA.