The rules concerning sending seeds and other planting materials to the US are intentionally vague, and enforcement seems much more dependent on the political winds of the moment than anything else. For some time now a ‘Small Lots of Seed’ permit was required, and perhaps technically still is.
At the same time it’s worth noting I’ve had several packages of seeds make it through recently without any special permits. Kate from Hills and Plains Seed Savers blog also travelled to the US with a collection of seeds in her luggage, declared them, and was allowed to bring them in.
Someone interested in my Andean tubers recently called US customs to ask about the procedure for importing them, and was told there was no special procedure they could just be sent. He was told the package should be clearly marked ‘Plant Materials Enclosed’. I don’t know for sure this is true, as I haven’t actually tried to send them yet.
It does seem like we are in a period of lax enforcement. If anyone has had problems getting plant materials into the US, this might be a good time to try again. Hopefully this will last a while — but don’t count on it!
If anyone starts having problems again, please let us know.
Thanks for this valuable info, Patrick
That’s great news as I do want to send some seeds (not heirloom, just ‘local’) to a friend in Texas who is missing the traditional taste of home. Thank you Patrick for the tip-off. I shall move fast!
I send quite a bit of seeds and other things to the US, including Andean tubers. I never had a problem (or I wasn’t told), a bigger problem is Canada, it can take weeks before things arrive there, and things sent from Canada to Belgium can be as slow