Many of you may be interested in this reply to a query of USDA. This really complicates imports to the point of "why bother" ----- Original Message ----- From: <Jose.R.Ceballos@usda.gov> To: <xerics@cox.net> Cc: <Bud.Petitdemange@usda.gov> Sent: Friday, October 13, 2006 2:24 PM Subject: PIS mail services > Dear Mr. Richard Wagner, Vista, CA > > Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention regarding the USDA > Plant Inspection Station (PIS) procedures for forwarding inspected and > released imported plant for planting packages to their final destination. > > In many of our Plant Inspection Stations, the various mail services used > to honor the international postage and allow these packages to be > forwarded to the consignee's address at no extra charges; however, they no > longer do so. Therefore, it is now standard procedure for our Plant > Inspection Stations arrange for the importer to take responsibility for > the cost of arrangements and shipping from the PIS to the consignee e.g. > providing the PIS personnel a shipping account number for a express > carrier of your preference. > > If you have received packages from a PIS without paying the additional > postage, it is more than likely USDA is absorbing the cost of shipping in > an effort to clear the inspection areas of already inspected packages so > new imports can be processed. These instances would be the exception > rather than the rule. > > > Should you have any questions, please call or e-mail me. > > > Jose Ceballos > Agriculturist > National Plant Germplasm Inspection Station > Plant Safeguarding and Pest Identification > USDA - APHIS - PPQ - PHP > Riverdale - Beltsville, MD > > Tels. 301/504 - 8141 Ext. 1 > Fax 301/504 - 8539 > > > > > > > > > > > From: <xerics@cox.net> [xerics@cox.net] > Sent: 10/05/2006 03:02 PM > To: Bud Petitdemange > Subject: imports > > Hi, > > > > Joyce Fingerut suggested that I make you aware of this issue and perhaps > you have some comments. > > This is a copy of an email that I sent to various plant discussion groups. > > > > This is a warning to those of you who import seeds and plants from time to > time using the mail system. > > > > In the past, the green and yellow label was used to direct a shipment to > the inspection station. The inspectors insured that there were no disease > organisms and that a phytosanitary certificate was included. They then > put the items back into the mail stream for forwarding to the importer. > > > > I have never had much of a problem with this except for the past few > years. Lately, the inspectors seem somewhat confused, and call to ask me > what to do with the items after inspection. I tell them to put them back > into the mail and they have. > > > > Since the implementation of the "small lots of seed" program, I have had > two orders. The first, from Europe, went through fine. That was last > Summer. The second, which was sent last month was held up. There was no > problem with the seed, but the inspectors said that they were unable to > put it into the mail system without additional postage. I argued but they > were adamant. Finally, they weighed the package and I went to my local > post office and purchased the required amount of postage which I sent to > them in a first class envelope. > > > > The envelope had only a one cent stamp in it when it was opened by the > inspection station. Yes, they claim it was sealed! > > > > I wasn't going to do that again, so I opened a FedEx account and had them > use my account number to get the seeds to me. > > > > These inspection stations may be autonomous, and I have heard that it is > only the LAX inspection station in Hawthorne that refuses to forward the > packages. > > > > This is just for your information so that if you do have a problem it will > not be a surprise. > > > > Richard Wagner > > Vista CA > > > > > > > Document was scanned by USDA-APHIS Antivirus >