USA illegal orchid list?

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Hi Bill U.,
The import process when CITES might be involved is so complicated I would strongly advise a beginner not to try it. This is the reason properly imported CITES plants are so expensive. If you or the exporter make a mistake, not only will your plants be burned or confiscated, but you the importer are automatically guilty of a crime, even if you and the exporter tried to follow the rules.

There are instructions on the USDA Web site, but they are written from the perspective of an inspector looking for rules to follow, not from the perspective of an importer looking for a step-by-step process.

Consider learning part of the process by getting a (free) USDA/APHIS general plant import permit, and learning now to import non-CITES plants.

Originally Posted by Ray

Send your import license labels (yellow & green) to the overseas vendor. They will need one for the inside of the package, to be attached to their documentation, and another for the outside of the package.

Double check on this. I believe they now send you a color PDF of the labels, and expect you to E-mail that to the vendor, who will then print the two labels for your shipment.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by Bill U.

So Ray, if I understand you correctly, I dont have to designate an inspection station when I create the label? EMS will send it directly to the appropriate one? And as a separate question to the process- do I have notify Customs that the shipment is coming?

I'm sorry! I didn't see this until just now.

My experience is this:

Send your import license labels (yellow & green) to the overseas vendor. They will need one for the inside of the package, to be attached to their documentation, and another for the outside of the package.

They must ship to your address via EMS.

When the package arrives in the US, it will be routed to the appropriate APHIS station. I suspect it has more to do with which plane it gets on than specifically where you live. While in PA, I had Asian-sourced plants clear on the west coast and in NY, South American plants in Miami and NY.

After clearance, the package will be express mailed to you at no additional charge.