export orchid from USA

[rastafouni]

Import an orchid in Thailand from USA, I know that it might sound very strange but I tell quickly the story.
As I collect Vanda in Thailand, I found a Vanda specie who's growing, in the wild in Northern Australia and Papua New Guinea. I have never seen this specie to sell over here. So I bough it ,despite the fact that the orchid nursery doesn't ship oversea, because my brother lives in Seattle. I was thinking that he will send me it by post. So now , the orchid is in Seattle but my brother (after getting more infos) told me that it's much more difficult than we were previously thinking . A CITES is needed but I wat thinking of that. It's not a problem about that. The problem is from another document from Department of Agriculture. This doc seems to be very hard to make , long to get and expensive.
Does anyone have info, recommenation , ideas to make it and espcially make it easier ?
My brother can also bring to the plant to me as he will come to Thailand soon if it's a better way.
Sorry if it is not the good place for this subject, don't know where to write it.
Thanks by advance

[Ray]

Philippe,

I do know that to import a plant to the US, I must have an import permit from the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and that the foreign shipper must provide the CITES docs from their government and a phytosanitary certificate, certifying that the plant is apparently free from insects and disease.

I don't know Thailand's import requirements, but I'd bet they are similar from the CITES and phytosanitary requirements.

This might be of some help: USDA - APHIS - Plant Export Information

I got this info - inspection offices - from the Washington Department of Agricuture website:

801 SW 150th St., Ste. 217
Seattle, WA 98166
Fax: (206) 439-3724
Cyndi Baumgardner, Plant Services Specialist
Phone: (206) 439-3722
Tobin Gilbert, Plant Services Specialist
Phone: (206) 439-3725

I'm sure that if your brother spoke to them, they would help him through the process.

[rastafouni]

Thanks Ray ! Very nice of you ! Especially phone numbers in Seattle ! !
To import plant in Thailand a Cites and a Phyto will be needed but that's not so difficult. My brother seems to worry about paper work in the US to export a plant.
I'm going to take a look about USDA's website and give to my brother phone numbers.
Thanks again Ray , very nice of you !

[Charmkp]

Hi Phillippe,
I had a similar situation a year ago trying to take home some orchids from the US. They told me, in order to apply for the CITES cert. I would have to be a citizen of the US. If your brother is not a citizen, then he would have to ask someone who is a citizen apply for it.
I really would like to know the outcome of this, as I have similar interest.

[Andrew]

If it's too hard or expensive to get the plant from the US into Thailand, Burleigh Park in Australia currently has Vanda hindsii flasks listed on their catalogue. (I'm assuming it's hindsii you're talking about, if not, what other Vanda comes from Australia?)

[rastafouni]

Sure Charmaine, I will let you know. But now if a citizenship is needed to get CITES certificate, my god... I've never heard stories that a citienship is required to make a Cites certif anywhere else as I did Cites before in Thailand and Europe. But if it's the case in USA, I think this plant will stay very long in Seattle and I will think about Andrew's idea.
Honestly ,Andrew I was thinking (wrongly) that it would be easier... Maybe I stay too long in Thailand where all of those things are more easy going.

[Charmkp]

Phillippe Keep trying, and I hope your experience will be different and better than mine.