Some questions I asked the USDA officer and the responses. Some things I still need to figure out, as in, how to specify a permit that is intended for "Planting and Propagation", a different permit than the SLOS?
Hope this helps others in their imports in the future.
The seller includes a Phytosanitary certificate from Brazil, but I notice that the stipulations of my permit mention that if i meet the requirements of my permit a Phytosanitary is not necessary to be included. Does the inclusion of a Brazilian PC negate any part of my permit and therefore require different procedures on packaging, shipment, etc.?
Due to the fact that this shipment was not in compliance with the Small Lots of Seeds (SLOS) permit conditions, a phytosanitary certificate is required. If you were in compliance with all of the shipping and packing requirements, a PC would not be required.
If the seller gets a Phytosanitary certificate in Brazil, does that mean that I should have one for US entry as well?
Excluding specific exemptions ( Small Lots of Seeds), all plants for planting offered for importation must be accompanied by a valid phytosanitary certificate issued by the exporting country
Are the small lots seeds permit requirements set in stone? As in, is it possible that I can have seeds shipped in a “foreign matter”, amending my current conditions on my permit? Some of the seeds are recalcitrant and are therefore sensitive to drying out.
If you need to ship seeds packed in an approved packing material (vermiculite is approved), then you need to use a permit listing the scientific genus name you plan to import, the plant part seed, and the intended use of “Planting and Propagation”. The importing procedure with this new permit would be exactly the same, except you would be required to have a PC and you wouldn’t have to comply with all of the extra packing and shipping conditions your current permit requires. It is very unlikely the wording of your SLOS permit will be changed, as this is a policy decision that applies to all Small Lots of Seeds permit holders.
I just checked out the Post-entry quarantine process and didn’t see Eugenia spp. listed, and the subtext under the selection box mentioning that if it is not included in the list then it is not allowed entry at all. Am I looking in the right area or are they just generally prohibited?
Page 6-492 lists all plant propagules other than seed as Post Entry Quarantine material when it comes from anywhere except Canada. Some of the Eugenia seeds in your shipment have sprouted, which means they are no longer regulated as seeds. This is going to result in you losing 2 packets of Eugenia seed at minimum, as you have to have the permitting done before you import that material.
Ultimately, I do believe that I don’t have a facility that is adequate to meet post entry requirements (most likely). Although I will be building an indoor propagation and quarantine space. Is there anywhere I can see the requirements for post entry growing facility spaces?
If you are interested in the post entry process and potentially getting a permit to import that material, I would recommend that you read chapter 5-1 to 5-10 of the Plant’s for Planting manual. This will help you understand the process and requirements and give you instructions on how to move forward with the process. The rest of chapter 5 is helpful, but mostly just talks about special requirements for specific post entry genera.