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East Everglades
Orchid Society
15220 SW 232 St.
Miami, FL 33170
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Importing Exotic Orchids
by Dr. Bert Pressman
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All orchids imported must pass Agricultural Inspection, and Miami, a designated Port of Entry, is fortunate to have its own local inspection facility. Formal importation requires proper documentation: 1) CITES Certificate, stating that the orchids were not collected from the wild, thereby threatening extinction of the species; 2) Phytosanitary Certificate, signifying that the orchids are free of insects and disease according to authorities of the country of origin; 3) Import Permit, which hobby growers can obtain free of charge from:
 USDA-APHIS-PPQ
Permit Unit
4700 River Road, Unit 136
Riverdale, MD 20737-1236
Phone: (301) 734-8645
Fax: (301) 734-5786
Internet: www.usda.gov |
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Although the prices for orchids at the country of origin are usually low, transportation costs can easily double their net cost. Once the order is received and paid for, and the paperwork completed, the vendor packs it and ships it off to the recipient, preferably by Airfreight, which requires only a couple of days for delivery. Cost is based on weight, bulk and certain fixed charges, which may double the net shipping cost based on weight alone. There is a minimal Airfreight shipping charge of about $200.
Air Parcel Post is cheaper, but it can take as long as a month to deliver the plants, by which time they are likely dried out or rotted. Once the orchids arrive in Miami, the recipient is contacted by the Airline. After finding the Airfreight Office at the Airport, and paying the freight charges, the importer is given a Shipping Invoice, which must then be cleared through Customs at the Customs building. There is a $6 processing fee for this, even though there is no duty for live orchids The Invoice must then be carried to the Agricultural Inspection Station, which issues a Conditional Release This is brought back to the Freight Office, which will now release the shipment to the recipient, or his agent, who is then obliged to bring it directly to the Agricultural Inspection Station. There the shipment is very courteously opened and each plant inspected. If the orchids were obtained from a commercial nursery, they are usually approved without incident, and can then be taken home and potted. In the sad event that live insects or disease is found, on even a single plant, the entire shipment can be subjected to treatment with ethyl bromide under vacuum, which causes severe stress or may even kill many plants. ("The cure is worse than the disease".) Since the vendor has already received his money up front, lots of luck to the buyer attempting to get an adjustment from him. If the gassing is done after normal operating hours, the recipient must pay overtime for the personnel who gas the hapless plants.
If the shipment is large, as is often the case when intended for resale, Customs may require a bonded broker to carry out the legwork. This increases the shipping cost and is reflected in the price at which the plants are retailed by local vendors.
Despite their higher prices, orchids sold by local nurseries can be better buys than nominally cheaper ones obtained through direct imports. Larger commercial shipments dilute the fixed charges, and earn the retailer substantial discounts. Furthermore, the plants of a given shipment vary considerably in size and quality. If one gets to choose orchids from a fresh shipment that has not yet been "picked over", the plants may well be worth the resellers' premium.
Many collectors are unaware of the special dispensation granted for orchids accompanying travelers who are US citizens. In the past NO PAPERWORK HAS BEEN REQUIRED! No CITES, no Phytosanitary, no permit, only a Bill of Sale from a commercial nursery to prove they were not collected. They must still be declared, and will be inspected, at the Port of Entry. This applies to any number of orchids, provided the shipment is not so large that it is obviously intended for resale. The Agriculture Department redefined its application of CITES regulations last year, and I do not know for sure if this liberal policy is still in effect. Two years ago I brought in over 30 orchids from South Africa, duly declared, in an open bag, prominently displayed. Nevertheless the contraband-sniffing Customs beagle came to my cart, and sniffed and pointed and carried on, as if he were earning a biscuit by discovering an illegal catch of fruit or marijuana, Despite their canine snitch, Customs gave me no grief. Thus if any of you were to purchase plants overseas without the time to obtain a valid CITES certificate, there is a good chance that you could bring them through Customs and Agricultural Inspection without trouble.
The punch line is that hobbyists can import exotic orchids without difficulty at reasonable prices, particularly if orders are pooled to reduce prorated shipping charges. The rewards could be locally unobtainable orchids at reasonable prices, which I find very appealing. |
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