International Bonsai Imports into the US

[Glaucus]

I was talking to a friend last weekend who went to japan and brought back 30 azaleas earlier this year, he had actually bought close to 50 but they died at LAX in quarantine. He was telling me the other people that went on the trip with him bought japanese white pine, over 50 of them and they all died in quarantine. Sad too because they were really nice trees and could have won awards here in the states for years to come.

Wow, sounds like they were mature trees, not just young material. Seems like a huge financial hit. It seems like proper importing from Japan to the US is really an unexplored area. I just saw 2 threads with newly imported satsuki from Japan.
And importing satsuki to Europe is perfectly safe and no real risk of them dying.

Seems like maybe there are different regimes for importing trees/plants from Japan. Like if you have the correct setup, connections, experience, paperwork, you do not need a lengthy and potentially deadly quarantine.

There are some pests that are that bad and dangerous that the agriculture department will come in and destroy every tree. And I don't mean bonsai. Just all trees and shrubs in general. If they find a citrus long-horned beetle here in the Netherlands (native to Japan and other parts of Asia), it will be national news and potentially they will destroy every tree in a 500m or 1km area around where it was found. And it has been known to spread through Japanese maple bonsai.

 

[ShimpakuBonsai]

I'm surprised to hear the Catawiki seller from Italy didn't exclude shipping outside the EU in the listing.
Most professional sellers from the EU will have a plantpassport with every tree they sell within the EU.
But I doubt that is enough for exporting trees outside the EU.

 

[baron]

I'm surprised to hear the Catawiki seller from Italy didn't exclude shipping outside the EU in the listing.
Most professional sellers from the EU will have a plantpassport with every tree they sell within the EU.
But I doubt that is enough for exporting trees outside the EU.

I'm surprised you got a refund tbh. This is an auction site afterall...

 

[dbonsaiw]

Catawiki is a legit site, but I do not believe the trees can be shipped internationally to the US. I spoke with them in the past and was advised that I would need to set up shipping with the actual seller and not the auction house.

 

[rockm]

Wow, sounds like they were mature trees, not just young material. Seems like a huge financial hit. It seems like proper importing from Japan to the US is really an unexplored area. I just saw 2 threads with newly imported satsuki from Japan.
And importing satsuki to Europe is perfectly safe and no real risk of them dying.

Seems like maybe there are different regimes for importing trees/plants from Japan. Like if you have the correct setup, connections, experience, paperwork, you do not need a lengthy and potentially deadly quarantine.

There are some pests that are that bad and dangerous that the agriculture department will come in and destroy every tree. And I don't mean bonsai. Just all trees and shrubs in general. If they find a citrus long-horned beetle here in the Netherlands (native to Japan and other parts of Asia), it will be national news and potentially they will destroy every tree in a 500m or 1km area around where it was found. And it has been known to spread through Japanese maple bonsai.

There is a B'nutter around who has ordered through a seller of satsukis based in Japan that has set up the required quarantine facilities and paperwork. Importation through that site is apparently relatively easy, since the vendor meets the requirements of quarantine and phyto certificates. Those kinds of sellers are rare, if non-existent on online auction sites. I can't remember the B'nutter's handle though. Perhaps they will chime in on their experience.

 

[Glaucus]

Canada bonsai, right? Anyway, it seems there is different info because I don't think satsuki need to be in quarantine for 2 years. Maybe that is required for trees from Japan from a place that is not set up for export and does not have the phytosanitary certificate. Anyway, I am not in the US. But it seems like a good webshop with stock imported from Japan could be a good business model. But it is just very challenging to set up as you need to be an entrepreneur, have a plant nursery facility, have knowledge of bonsai, have knowledge of webshops, have knowledge of the importing regulations, have connections with USDA, have connections in Japan/knowledge of the Japanese language, have some investment fund/bank loans to set up the business, etc.

 

[Bob Hunter]

There is a B'nutter around who has ordered through a seller of satsukis based in Japan that has set up the required quarantine facilities and paperwork. Importation through that site is apparently relatively easy, since the vendor meets the requirements of quarantine and phyto certificates. Those kinds of sellers are rare, if non-existent on online auction sites. I can't remember the B'nutter's handle though. Perhaps they will chime in on their experience.

That's me I have imported 15 trees so far no problems at all. Once shipped from Japan I pick up the trees the next day from the USDA. https://satsuki-bonsai.com/

 

[Glaucus]

Yeah, that sounds a lot smoother than these horror stories about 2 year quarantine or all trees dying. Besides Mr. Shibue, there's actually another place in Japan that grows satsuki and that has a phytosanitary certificate. Not 100% sure it is valid for the US, though. Sadly, And they would need to bare-root them as well. They do not have an English site, which confuses me a bit. Just so you are aware. If things are that smooth for you, that place could also be an option for you.

 

[rockm]

Yeah, that sounds a lot smoother than these horror stories about 2 year quarantine or all trees dying. Besides Mr. Shibue, there's actually another place in Japan that grows satsuki and that has a phytosanitary certificate. Not 100% sure it is valid for the US, though. Sadly, And they would need to bare-root them as well. They do not have an English site, which confuses me a bit. Just so you are aware. If things are that smooth for you, that place could also be an option for you.

As far as I know, talking with a couple of Satsuki importers here in the states, Satsukis DO require a quarantine period. That quarantine is done IN JAPAN if I'm correct. Those plants are kept in a facility that meets U.S. requirements, THEN shipped out. In other words, the shipper meets the requirements, then makes the trees available for immediate shipping, from what I understand.
The National Bonsai and Penjing Museum used the PPQ process to import bonsai

 

[Glaucus]

My assumption was that a nursery with a phytosanitary certificate is inspected for at least 2 years. And if none of the relevant pests occur and they do whatever they need to do to be certified, like pest prevention regimes, then they get the certificate. And they keep it as long as they pass each inspection. And therefore, the plants are defacto 'in quarantine' at the certified nursery, because it is a pest-free environment.
And importing also requires additional inspections and maybe involve very short quarantines (minutes/hours/a day) until it is confirmed that the cargo matches the phytosanitary paperwork..

But I don't actually know how it works.

 

[rockm]

My assumption was that a nursery with a phytosanitary certificate is inspected for at least 2 years. And if none of the relevant pests occur and they do whatever they need to do to be certified, like pest prevention regimes, then they get the certificate. And they keep it as long as they pass each inspection. And therefore, the plants are defacto 'in quarantine' at the certified nursery, because it is a pest-free environment.
And importing also requires additional inspections and maybe involve very short quarantines (minutes/hours/a day) until it is confirmed that the cargo matches the phytosanitary paperwork..

But I don't actually know how it works.

USDA/APHIS requires yearly inspection and has minimum requirements for those growing facilities, such as minimum shelf height from the floor, size of screening, etc. Bonsai coming into the U.S. require two-year quarantines, barerooting (in the vast majority of cases) and phyto certs. You can find the USDA/APHIS restrictions on rhododendrum (species--which includes satsuki) from Japan in this document on page 1170.

 

[Glaucus]

Then how can Bob just pick them up on day 1? That's a 1400 page document. I scanned it but it references technical legal stuff, to completely cover everything. I can't just read it and understand it right away.

[edit]
Table 5-2 on page 320 lists plants that need to be quarantines upon arrival.
It lists, for acer from New Zealand and the Netherlands only.
For pines, only 2 or 3 needle ones from South Korea.
Rhododendron does not appear.

 

[Canada Bonsai]

Many USDA requirements vary from state to state and species to species, among other variables. When i need information i don’t read online forums. I pick up the phone, call the local USDA office, and the always very helpful agent gladly lets me know what’s required within a day or two.

It’s really that simple and easy

Any time this topic comes up it’s the same characters on this forum sharing rumors and misinformation of unknown origin.

It was the same situation in Canada. When i got into bonsai the old timers like David Easterbrook told me it was impossible/illegal to import plants. Turns out all i had to do was call, ask, and follow the rules. I met people who for years had been illegally stuffing branches and shohin into luggages when the same plants could have been brought in legally, all because they never bothered to pick up the phone and ask

It takes far less time to call the USDA then it does to post on bnut.

 

[Glaucus]

Yeah, that makes more sense. I see a lot of comments here saying 'they must be bare rooted, be at an USDA plant for 2 years, most of them will die' etc. Sure, bare rooting seems required for the US (but apparently not the EU). But then I see people that have plants that seem freshly imported from Japan. And I am aware of your website Canada Bonsai. And then mr Shibue also says people from EU, Canada and the US can buy plants from them. And all they need to do in the US is get an import license from USDA.

I remember reading here that rules became more strict and that people who used to import bonsai from Japan could no longer do it and that the stricter USDA rules completely killed the business.
I'm in Europe so it doesn't directly affect me. But I just get a bit confused reading. And I'd prefer to be able to give people good info.
I do see a stark difference between imported bonsai in Europe and imported bonsai in the US. Sometimes I see people that imported satsuki from Japan, but they are bonsai (semi)-professionals without a webshop.

Definitely it seems that contacting USDA or similar beforehand seems like the way to go. And not buying something first, and trying to import it afterwards.
The rules seem quite technical and arguably over-regulated. But there's serious pests and economic sectors to protect.
Also, for young satsuki plants from Japan, it would matter when it would qualify as a cutting younger than 2 years. Or an artificially dwarfed plant (aka bonsai).
With me just scanning quickly, it seems older normal nursery plants of azalea/rhododendron cannot be imported into Japan.
And neither can any azalea or rhododendron from a place other than Japan or Canada.
And I almost wonder if Canada and Japan are on that list because people called the USDA and told them they want to import azalea from those countries (Shibue/Yamaka Engei, etc from Japan, and Canada Bonsai from Canada?)
And that it would include say Taiwan or Mexico if someone had bothered to get that through USDA.

@CanadaBonsai did you also consider buying/importing from Yamaka Engei? Maybe you have a good exclusive deal with Mr Shibue. But Yamaka Engei is also an option. Strangely though, they blocked their Japanese language website from non-Japanese IP addresses. But when I emailed them, I could buy from them. Not sure how much of a hassle foreign people trying to buy from them but then backing out because of costs/permits is. Might be a reason to only deal with those who know what they are doing.

 

[Kievnstavick]

Reading over the recent replies, there seems to be a slight misunderstanding that is causing some confusion.

To clarify: The original topic was a random person inquiring about importing from a random seller.

This is the main factor in the "2-year quarantine and it will probably die." Since the seller probably does not meet the quarantine requirements in their nursery, it would have to be done at a USDA facility. Not to mention that the seller and buyer will have to start getting the documentation set-up which in itself can take awhile if you are unfamiliar with it.

What was recently mentioned was a nursery specifically set up to meet the quarantine requirements for the USDA while at the sellers location so that they can provide all of the specialized care. The reason a buyer can import it and pick it up day one of entering US soil is because the requirements and documentation are already fulfilled well before the item is purchased and shipped.

As Canada Bonsai already mentioned, if someone is interested in importing/exporting requirements it is best to either talk with someone who actively works with them (IE a representative for the organization) to get the most up to date and relevant information. You would also be wise to at least read the lawbook on it just to have a passing familiarity of the requirements before getting in contact with someone.

 

[rockm]

Yeah, that makes more sense. I see a lot of comments here saying 'they must be bare rooted, be at an USDA plant for 2 years, most of them will die' etc. Sure, bare rooting seems required for the US (but apparently not the EU). But then I see people that have plants that seem freshly imported from Japan. And I am aware of your website Canada Bonsai. And then mr Shibue also says people from EU, Canada and the US can buy plants from them. And all they need to do in the US is get an import license from USDA.

I remember reading here that rules became more strict and that people who used to import bonsai from Japan could no longer do it and that the stricter USDA rules completely killed the business.
I'm in Europe so it doesn't directly affect me. But I just get a bit confused reading. And I'd prefer to be able to give people good info.
I do see a stark difference between imported bonsai in Europe and imported bonsai in the US. Sometimes I see people that imported satsuki from Japan, but they are bonsai (semi)-professionals without a webshop.

Definitely it seems that contacting USDA or similar beforehand seems like the way to go. And not buying something first, and trying to import it afterwards.
The rules seem quite technical and arguably over-regulated. But there's serious pests and economic sectors to protect.
Also, for young satsuki plants from Japan, it would matter when it would qualify as a cutting younger than 2 years. Or an artificially dwarfed plant (aka bonsai).
With me just scanning quickly, it seems older normal nursery plants of azalea/rhododendron cannot be imported into Japan.
And neither can any azalea or rhododendron from a place other than Japan or Canada.
And I almost wonder if Canada and Japan are on that list because people called the USDA and told them they want to import azalea from those countries (Shibue/Yamaka Engei, etc from Japan, and Canada Bonsai from Canada?)
And that it would include say Taiwan or Mexico if someone had bothered to get that through USDA.

@CanadaBonsai did you also consider buying/importing from Yamaka Engei? Maybe you have a good exclusive deal with Mr Shibue. But Yamaka Engei is also an option. Strangely though, they blocked their Japanese language website from non-Japanese IP addresses. But when I emailed them, I could buy from them. Not sure how much of a hassle foreign people trying to buy from them but then backing out because of costs/permits is. Might be a reason to only deal with those who know what they are doing.

The plants you see 'directly imported" are not 'direct. They are being sold out of quarantine facilities in Japan simple as that. They're not 'immediately' available. They are available AFTER they have been in quarantine for two years and have been planted in sterile substrate. They have already undergone the process and THEN are sold for export.

There are variables as seedlings aren't the same as "mature" mature plants and imports from Canada apparently aren't as strict as from Asia, simply because Asia has been the path of more pathogens.

And FWIW, "the probably die" thing is silly. The process doesn't kill most plants. Most make it through, but some make it through better than others. I spoke from experience in talking with a bonsai nursery owner who imported three dozens huge, fine, Chinese elm bonsai. They all had roots fumigated upon entry. Two thirds recovered, but some of the best ones either didn't or had significant catastrophic die back.

FWIW from a U.S. satsuki importer's page

Satsuki Bonsai-en Imports, LLC - Bringing the Art of Bonsai to you.

Satsuki Bonsai-en Imports a variety of Azaleas with many flower forms and colors. We are one of the authorized quarantine facilities in the USA and can provide services for people that travel to Japan and wish to purchase legally importable varieties of trees (not just Azaleas) for Bonsai.

satsukibonsai-en.com

 

[Kievnstavick]

>separate response since it is a different topic then my last post.

I have imported several hundred seeds abd dozens of dried wood from Hawaii on my person. A lot of people that I talked to (mostly curiosity of people passing by while I was collecting) were surprised to learn that you could legally take plant material back to the continental United States so long as you fulfilled the requirements and declared it before leaving Port.

I followed the requirements so closely that I annoyed the USDA inspectors.

 

[Glaucus]

I was responding to SouthernMaple's story and drawing the conclusion that it seems there are different regimes. His story does not match for example CanadaBonsai's first hand story. Or me recently noticing US posters here with young satsuki material from Japan, apparently freshly imported. Now I don't doubt the accuracy of his story. Just that either something changed or people are not fully taking advantages of the possibilities (ie not importing from the right Japanese bonsai growers). Of course we are going off topic as this isn't about the original seller. But it would be good if we have accurate info here on this site for people reading and thinking about importing plants or bonsai from Japan. Or USDA telling different things to different people? Or individual states being different.

I get your point about the Japanese quarantining part of their stock for export to the west. However, the issue I have with this, which isn't definite and isn't first hand, is that I was managed to buy from the Japanese stock. I saw what they had in stock on offer for the Japanese, I could then tell them 'I want A, C, X and Y' and they were able to deliver 100% what I asked for. Now, I had someone do maybe some magic for me. I was actually surprised that they didn't tell me 'sorry, but we can only sell you A and Y because C and X are not certified for the EU'. So it seems that they were able to export any young plant they had in their nursery to the EU. And not, like you say, just the stock that was grown in an enclosed greenhouse and inspected for at least 2 years (aka pre-quarantine'd). This might be because all plants they grow are inside enclosed greenhouses with locked doors that are inspected. Or they were young enough so they were exempt. Or the EU is different from the US.

Again, this were younger plants and this wasn't the US but the EU. So that could explain all of these differences. I think what you mean is that in the APHIS document it says that bonsai need to be grown in 'sterile medium' for 2 years. And be grown on shelves and in enclosed greenhouses. But I think growing in akadama or kanuma meets the 'sterile medium' requirement. And they don't mean it needs to be drenched with fumigate to be literally sterilized every once in a while. Though they may do that with some species on arrival. So I would still say that saying that when buying from Japan requires a 2 year quarantine is a bit misleading. You just need to buy from a place that is set up with a phytosanitary certificate to export to the US (or EU). And call the USDA beforehand.

The 'probably die' thing refers to the literal account of 50 pines dead out of 50 in this very thread. And I have seen similar anecdotes about this in the past. Ie the 'you pay for them but USDA keeps them for the first 2 years and they don't know how to keep bonsai alive'-story. Now SouthernMaple didn't say the quarantine was 2 years. But someone else had a story about bonsai beng kept at an USDA plant and them going there every day to water them, and driving 2 hours a day. Not saying these stories didn't happen. But it seems like these bonsai weren't allowed to be imported, unless they were quarantined for 2 years. For example because there was no phytosanitary certificate.

Could also be that in practice the rules aren't as strict as in the APHIS document. And that Japanese growers that are certified and have a proven pest-free track record when exporting to the US and are trusted by USDA have more leaway.

Just trying to make sense of these divergent accounts.

 

[Bob Hunter]

Then how can Bob just pick them up on day 1? That's a 1400 page document. I scanned it but it references technical legal stuff, to completely cover everything. I can't just read it and understand it right away.

[edit]

They Are quarantined for 2 years in Japan

 

[Fidur]

To add a bit more information on the exportation of bonsai from Japan, take a look at this article.
My JWP came to me that way......