Fw: PIS mail services

Richard xerics@cox.net
Fri, 13 Oct 2006 15:00:19 PDT
Many of you may be interested in this reply to a query of USDA. This really 
complicates imports to the point of "why bother"

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Jose.R.Ceballos@usda.gov>
To: <xerics@cox.net>
Cc: <Bud.Petitdemange@usda.gov>
Sent: Friday, October 13, 2006 2:24 PM
Subject: PIS mail services


> Dear Mr. Richard Wagner, Vista, CA
>
> Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention regarding the USDA 
> Plant Inspection Station (PIS) procedures for forwarding inspected and 
> released imported plant for planting packages to their final destination.
>
> In many of our Plant Inspection Stations, the various mail services used 
> to honor the international postage and allow these packages to be 
> forwarded to the consignee's address at no extra charges; however, they no 
> longer do so. Therefore, it is now standard procedure for our Plant 
> Inspection Stations arrange for the importer to take responsibility for 
> the cost of arrangements and shipping from the PIS to the consignee e.g. 
> providing the PIS personnel a shipping account number for a express 
> carrier of your preference.
>
> If you have received packages from a PIS without paying the additional 
> postage, it is more than likely USDA is absorbing the cost of shipping in 
> an effort to clear the inspection areas of already inspected packages so 
> new imports can be processed.  These instances would be the exception 
> rather than the rule.
>
>
> Should you have any questions, please call or e-mail me.
>
>
> Jose Ceballos
> Agriculturist
> National Plant Germplasm Inspection Station
> Plant Safeguarding and Pest Identification
> USDA - APHIS - PPQ - PHP
> Riverdale - Beltsville, MD
>
> Tels. 301/504 - 8141  Ext. 1
> Fax 301/504 - 8539
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>    From: <xerics@cox.net> [xerics@cox.net]
>    Sent: 10/05/2006 03:02 PM
>    To: Bud Petitdemange
>    Subject: imports
>
> Hi,
>
>
>
> Joyce Fingerut suggested that I make you aware of this issue and perhaps 
> you have some comments.
>
> This is a copy of an email that I sent to various plant discussion groups.
>
>
>
> This is a warning to those of you who import seeds and plants from time to 
> time using the mail system.
>
>
>
> In the past, the green and yellow label was used to direct a shipment to 
> the inspection station. The inspectors insured that there were no disease 
> organisms and that a phytosanitary certificate was included.  They then 
> put the items back into the mail stream for forwarding to the importer.
>
>
>
> I have never had much of a problem with this except for the past few 
> years.  Lately, the inspectors seem somewhat confused, and call to ask me 
> what to do with the items after inspection. I tell them to put them back 
> into the mail and they have.
>
>
>
> Since the implementation of the "small lots of seed" program, I have had 
> two orders. The first, from Europe, went through fine. That was last 
> Summer. The second, which was sent last month was held up. There was no 
> problem with the seed, but the inspectors said that they were unable to 
> put it into the mail system without additional postage. I argued but they 
> were adamant. Finally, they weighed the package and I went to my local 
> post office and purchased the required amount of postage which I sent to 
> them in a first class envelope.
>
>
>
> The envelope had only a one cent stamp in it when it was opened by the 
> inspection station.  Yes, they claim it was sealed!
>
>
>
> I wasn't going to do that again, so I opened a FedEx account and had them 
> use my account number to get the seeds to me.
>
>
>
> These inspection stations may be autonomous, and I have heard that it is 
> only the LAX inspection station in Hawthorne that refuses to forward the 
> packages.
>
>
>
> This is just for your information so that if you do have a problem it will 
> not be a surprise.
>
>
>
> Richard Wagner
>
> Vista CA
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Document was scanned by USDA-APHIS Antivirus
> 


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