When I handled a tourist vehicle for a friend, one of the documents I had to sign from US Customs stated that the vehicle had to be exported by sea or air after one year. Otherwise, it is subject to destruction. Enforcement by CBP appears to be quite lax, as I am aware of a good number of these vehicles licensed and driving in various states with local plates. Just keep it out of California. Since the TDI cheating scandal, they have been trying to enforce the import rules even on vehicles older than 25 years. 

BenT

> On Aug 16, 2022, at 4:13 PM, Karl <tdiguru@westyventures.com> wrote:
> 
> I have a chance to buy a T4 TDI on the east coast that was brought in as
> a tourist vehicle, then sold to a friend at the end of travels and the
> original owners flew back home to Germany. It's over 25 years old, but
> I'm not sure that since the vehicle is already in the US if it can be
> now formally imported and titled. Multiple calls to US Customs go
> unanswered, no callbacks and the deadline for me to buy it is nearing an
> end. Has anyone else here dealt with one in this way? The option to take
> it back out of the US isn't possible, and I don't want to do the sketchy
> register in a non-title state scheme.
> Experiences, ideas?
> 
> Thanks,
> Karl