[PCA] Some mystery seeds illegally sent from China identified

[De Angelis, Patricia]

It might be of interest to explore why these shipments of seeds are being referred to as 'illegal.'

For one, they were not accompanied by the required import documents. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-AHPIS) requires that all seeds imported to the United States be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate from the exporting country that certifies the seeds are “apparently free from pests and disease." This regulation was put in place to ensure the health of our crops -- essentially, to prevented foreign diseases and pests from wiping them out. Depending on the species, additional import documentation may be required.

In addition, the contents of at least some of the packages have been labeled to misrepresent the contents indicate something other than seeds (e.g., jewelry). Such violations as intentional mislabeling may enter the realms of other federal agencies, such as the Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Patrol and the U.S. Postal Service, and may garner additional penalties.

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From: APWG <apwg-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org> on behalf of De Angelis, Patricia <patricia_deangelis at fws.gov>
Sent: Wednesday, August 5, 2020 12:21 PM
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Subject: [EXTERNAL] [APWG] Some mystery seeds illegally sent from China identified




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August 4, 2020
CBS News

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has identified some of the plant species in bags of unsolicited seeds arriving in mailboxes across the United States. Officials have warned the shipments of mystery seeds, which appear to have originated in China, could be invasive plant species. So far, however, the species appear to be innocuous. At least 14 of the seed species had been identified as of July 29, according to Deputy Administrator Osama El-Lissy of the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. They includes mustard, cabbage and morning glory as well as herbs like mint, sage, rosemary and lavender. He said hibiscus and roses were also found.

Read the article: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/seeds-from-china-usda-investigation-identified/
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