The Orchid Garden

info on bringing orchids back to US from WOC

Question:

Hi, I plan to go to WOC, Vancouver, Canada. Does any one know whether I need a special permit to bring plants back to the US via the border? Can I bring back Paphiopedilum or other CITES’ orchids? thanks robi

Response:

Hi, I plan to go to WOC, Vancouver, Canada. Does any one know whether I need a special permit to bring plants back to the US via the border? Can I bring back Paphiopedilum or other CITES’ orchids? thanks robi

Here is copy of a email I received from my connection with the Orchid Safari group: Date Fri, 02 Apr 1999 124838 -0800 Subject WOC info Hello again Lois. Here is a USDA letter composed to inform as to what to expect when people from the US  purchase plants at the WOC. I hope you will recognize the effort your USDA, Judith Orach, has taken to make this work. The fact she is an orchid lover helps.  I  think this will be of great interest to many. Douglas April 1, 1999 To: 16TH WORLD ORCHID CONFERENCE ATTENDEES DEAR CONFERENCE ATTENDEES, On April 28 to May 2, 1999, the 16th World Orchid Conference (WOC) will be held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Since this is the first time since 1984 that this international event has been held on the North American continent, it is anticipated that this conference will be widely attended by U.S. commercial orchid growers and hobbyists. Orchid plants from around the world will be available for purchase at the WOC.  The Plant Protection and Quarantine division of the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, wishes to facilitate the entry into the United States of plants purchased at the WOC, while ensuring that CITES requirements and propagative material importation requirements are met.  The Canadian Food Inspection Agency will be present at the WOC to issue CITES and phytosanitary certification for plants purchased at the WOC for export.  USDA, APHIS, PPQ will be present on site at the WOC to conduct inspections and pre-clearance of plants purchased at the WOC destined to the United States. This will expedite the entry of these plants and will alleviate the problem of non-cleared CITES plant material arriving at US Ports which may not be authorized to handle those shipments. Attendees who wish to purchase orchid plants at the WOC must obtain CITES certification and a Canadian phytosanitary certificate from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency at the WOC.  There will be a fee of $20.00 (Cdn) or $15.00 (US) which includes the GST. After the CITES certification and phytosanitary certificate have been obtained, US residents should present their purchases along with this documentation for inspection at the USDA inspection booth. An officer will examine the plants for insects, diseases and confirmation to US import requirements, at no additional charge to the customer. Plants which meet US import requirements will be pre-cleared for entry into the United States. At that time, the USDA Officer will retain the original of both the CITES certification and phytosanitary certificate and will stamp the official copy of those documents with a red inked

Filed under: Orchid Plants

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