mailing plants between US and Canada - Orchid Board

Paul · #1 09-18-2011, 01:51 PM

I know this topic must have come up at some point but I got tired of searching. Out of curiosity, would there be issues with mailing plants between US and Canada. In other words, are phytosans and all that rigamaroll still required. There are times I'd like to participate in plant trades with our Canadian neighbors, but I didn't know what the legality might be and would had to have a 'mountie' or US customs come knocking on my door ...

Paul Mc · #2 09-18-2011, 01:59 PM

I'm not 100% sure, but I would suspect so. I think that has been an issue with Member Projects in the past, not to mention the expense.

RosieC · #3 09-18-2011, 04:50 PM

As I understand it CITES is needed at least, as CITES is for movement between countries. (An exception is Europe, which for the purposes of CITES is counted as one country, I don't think there is an exception between Canada and the USA.)

I don't know about other paper work but like Paul I suspect it's still needed.

ronaldhanko · #4 09-18-2011, 04:53 PM

You have to jump through all the same hoops as for any other "foreign" country.

ezil · #5 09-18-2011, 09:55 PM

Paul, the paper work, the expense and the time involved is probably the main reason why there is so little of it. Maybe one day, in the very distant future, we'll have "open" borders.

FairyInTheFlowers · #6 09-18-2011, 10:04 PM

While you do need a bunch of certificates to mail stuff across the boarder, you can drive them across the border without anything. My friend did this once and he showed me a website all about these kind of regulations, and it said in regards of bringing 'chids from the US to Canada, they must have certificates if they are not with the owner, but if they are (as in you driving with them across), there is no need for any certificates. I just wish there was someone who lived in the US who people could ship stuff to, and then have them drive across the border and mail it within Canada.

Carl Austin · #7 09-18-2011, 10:34 PM

That's bad advice, Blazing August. Under ALL circumstances, a CITES certificate is needed. There are no exceptions.

Carl

FairyInTheFlowers · #8 09-19-2011, 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carl Austin

That's bad advice, Blazing August. Under ALL circumstances, a CITES certificate is needed. There are no exceptions.

Carl

Incorrect! Follow this link --> Canadian Food Inspection Agency - AUTOMATED IMPORT REFERENCE SYSTEM enter orchids as the commodity, follow the instructions by entering the country, and then state it is coming from, then your planned use (household and not for resale), etc, and you find out that you can indeed take up to fifty orchids with you while driving from the US into Canada, without any documentations, depending what state they are coming from, of course. So according to this, I could get up to fifty 'chids from Texas, and as long as I am with them while crossing the border, and I do not plan to resell them, I can bring them across with no certificates.

ronaldhanko · #9 09-18-2011, 10:58 PM

Carl is right! We live within five minutes of the border and would dearly love to shop for garden plants as well as orchids at nurseries across the border, but the regulations are just too much of a hassle.

silken · #10 09-18-2011, 11:16 PM

I think phyto sanitary papers are also required. And one of the certificates for sure cost something like $75.00 or $80.00 so it needs to be a large deal or it's not worth the cost of the paperwork.

I see so many places in the U.S. I would dearly love to order plants from but cannot.