Importing seeds

Is it legal to order seeds from a certified organic seed company and have them sent to Taiwan? I know that at the airport it clearly states, NO fruits or vegetables… BUT what about on line ordering from
USA certified seed companies ??? All these companies ship internationally… how can they do this, if most if not all countries don’t want other counties fruits and vegetables…??? Is a seed different??

Some people seem to have success getting seeds from Amsterdam mailed here :whistle:

Depends on what kind of seed… for example seeds from Amsterdam is a big no-no and you can go to jail for years if caught (and you will be caught).

In theory all seeds must come in with a phytosanitary certificate, and if you’re ordering in bulk (like, 20-kilo bags) then you will need one. In practice, if you’re just ordering a couple of packets of tomatoes (no, not that kind), the chances are nobody will care, mainly because seeds from reputable sources are “clean”. The worst that can happen is that they’ll be destroyed, but realistically the chances of even that are slim. You’re not going to get a knock on the door from men with hazmat suits and flamethrowers.

Do NOT attempt to bring in live plant material though - tubers, fruits, cuttings and suchlike. You could inadvertently bring in pests and diseases.

[quote=“finley”]In theory all seeds must come in with a phytosanitary certificate, and if you’re ordering in bulk (like, 20-kilo bags) then you will need one. In practice, if you’re just ordering a couple of packets of tomatoes (no, not that kind), the chances are nobody will care, mainly because seeds from reputable sources are “clean”. The worst that can happen is that they’ll be destroyed, but realistically the chances of even that are slim. You’re not going to get a knock on the door from men with hazmat suits and flamethrowers.

Do NOT attempt to bring in live plant material though - tubers, fruits, cuttings and suchlike. You could inadvertently bring in pests and diseases.[/quote]

I like this topic…
I actually thought seeds were the reason whole fruits are banned in borders, as to not bring foreign/not native flora that could potentially fuck up the environments. What you say does make sense though, and its applied to imported wood as well (like the one from pine trees).

Yes, it’s not so much the seeds themselves. An imported species will usually fail to thrive unless it finds a specific ecological niche that’s currently unoccupied. With a few exceptions, fruit and veg especially are so highly-engineered (they’re the plant equivalent of chihuahuas) that it’s impossible for them to become invasive. Weeds, bugs and pathogenic bacteria/viruses/fungi are a different story: they’ve naturally evolved to be tough, and they can be incredibly troublesome. Personally, I avoid eating imported fresh fruit/veg because they will have been sprayed with all sorts of shit to sterilize them.