Agaveville

Do any of you have recent practical experience importing to the USA?

Currently I'm considering importing some agaves from China. Previously I considered buying from Italy but the buyer got snippy with me because I wanted to follow USDA APHIS regulations a little too closely for their liking. I think the discussion with this seller in China is likely to turn sour for the same reason.

I've reviewed some history here about importing agaves. I get the impression that following regulations closely is really the only way to go. But there are a lot of details to get right and I've never (successfully) imported plants or seeds. Also sellers don't seem to like following regulations for some reason.

From what I have seen the Chinese and Taiwanese sellers know they have to have a phytosanitary certificate to make it through, many include it with the purchase. I think the European sellers didnt have as many problems until the last 3-4 years. A lot of the bigger Italian nurseries now offer the option.

Meangreen94z wrote: ↑Mon Jan 22, 2024 10:45 am From what I have seen the Chinese and Taiwanese sellers know they have to have a phytosanitary certificate to make it through, many include it with the purchase. I think the European sellers didnt have as many problems until the last 3-4 years. A lot of the bigger Italian nurseries now offer the option.

I get the impression that these sellers I'm dealing with may be smaller than the ones you're talking about.

The Italian seller seemed fine with getting a phytosanitary certificate on their end. The issue there seemed to be that they were offended when I said I would need to apply for permits on my end as well. I think they just wanted to ship with phyto from their end only (which they claimed also included a CITES permit). According to them, "We send plants every day to USA and we know hoe to export plants." I considered the transaction dead in the water at that point.

The Chinese seller said "the phytosanitary report costs $60 and is for the China Plant Quarantine Center. Generally, individual or several plants do not require a phytosanitary report for phytosanitary." I don't know if that place is one recognized by the USDA as valid. But also it seems fishy to me that this place is usually just shipping plants without phyto, permits, etc. At the very least I'm concerned that they won't get it right if I demand it. So it's likely I won't end up buying from this one either.

My several-years-ago experience with trying to import was with 15 seeds of one of the rare strains of Zea diploperennis that had been partially bred toward behaving more like domesticated corn. The seller jumped the gun and shipped before we had the conversations about permits. Those got confiscated and I'm sure they were promptly destroyed. (Can't risk letting a perennial corn breeding operation get started in the USA. What would happen to Monsanto?) Anyway, I'm a bit touchy about wanting to do the paperwork right after that one.

My several-years-ago experience with trying to import was with 15 seeds of one of the rare strains of Zea diploperennis that had been partially bred toward behaving more like domesticated corn. The seller jumped the gun and shipped before we had the conversations about permits. Those got confiscated and I'm sure they were promptly destroyed. (Can't risk letting a perennial corn breeding operation get started in the USA. What would happen to Monsanto?) Anyway, I'm a bit touchy about wanting to do the paperwork right after that one.

I have no experience with agave but I am very interested in and involved with Z. diploperennis and perennial corn development in general. Where did you find a seller of Z. dip seeds in China? I would be interested in seeing if their germplasm is something developed in China that differs from the accessions available through GRIN. If you need Z. dip seeds I can send you some. Any time I can find a collaborator in the quest for perennial corn I greatly appreciate it.

If you’re referring to Botanical Archives you should probably avoid them. They’re selling random plants as very specific hybrids. I almost got suckered in by some exciting sounding plants only to see the same plants get listed as a different hybrid weeks later.

Gafoto wrote: ↑Sat Sep 21, 2024 11:00 am If you’re referring to Botanical Archives you should probably avoid them. They’re selling random plants as very specific hybrids. I almost got suckered in by some exciting sounding plants only to see the same plants get listed as a different hybrid weeks later.

Lol. That would have been priceless advice to have before I bought from them. Live and learn.

Hello Fellow Agave Lovers-

Forgive me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t the phyto certificate from the exporter cover so many plants and if anything above that, the buyer must apply for the APHIS green and yellow labels from the dept. of agriculture, so to be placed on the outside of the incoming box to avoid being confiscated?

I got confiscated once when Europe started cracking down on exported plants being exported to the US without any phyto

Good Growing,
OWgave