What do I need to import wine into the united states and where do I get it?
I live in Charleston SC and am most interested in importing wine from Greece. Are there any specific licenses I need and what agencies should I contact to obtain them? What license do I need to distribute the wine once I’ve got it? Any help is greatly appreciated.
April 1st, 2011 at 1:21 pm
Well you are not only going to have to deal with the state, you are going to have to deal with Federal stuff too.
This is a nightmare legally. You aren’t going to do it just for one wine because it will take a major investment to set up. If you are interested find an attorney that specializes in this and hire him.
April 1st, 2011 at 1:51 pm
Gazoo has it.
From the Federal standpoint, you’ll need to do all kinds of paperwork and pay all kinds of fees to the TTB (Tax and Trade Bureau) which is a section of the ATF (Dept. of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms). You’ll also have to go through the FTC (Federal Trade Commision) I believe, in order to get the approvals to actually import the stuff.
Then, you have to go through your state’s Alcohol Control Board, or whatever your state calls it, to obtain any necessary licenses as an importer, wholesaler, etc.
You’ll also have to incorporate, or set up an LLC, and obtain state and Federal Tax ID #s.
This is going to cost a lot of coin. Gazoo is right: get the advice of a lawyer who specializes in liquor laws.
Cheers!