Miami is the best port of entry with orchids, no comparison to other ports, with both hand baggage and shipments. The staff there has generally the best educated, trained, and experienced inspectors. This is because of the shear volume of orchids and other plants and products passing through their inspection lines - it is actually rather impressive if you stand back and watch for awhile.
The ports listed by the USDA that are approved for orchid inspections are: New York, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando, San Francisco, and Seattle. If your plants were abused at Seattle, you really should file a grievance. My importations coming through Seattle have faired well; different times, different inspectors, different transportation methods. Of the two choices that you have, L.A. is the best; for orchids, probably the second best port. New York is among the worst in the country. Though I have not knowingly brought or imported orchids through NY, most all my international parcels from Europe and Canada going through NY have been roughed-up, damaged, or lost. In fact, within the last few weeks, DHL and the USFWS in New York lost another package, this one from Canada, simply because some individual or sequence of pathetically incompetent bureaucratic lackies did not understand the importation rules involving wildlife and scientific exchange, nor have effective electronic tracking. Since this shipment had no commercial value, I cannot consider the usual corruption to have credence, just plain old incompetence and ignorance. Then they had the gall to send an invoice for the undelivered package! pj On Oct 6, 2007, at 2:05 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Dear OGDers who have travelled to the USA, > If the treatment of the orchids/flasks that you are carrying was the > only factor, what would be your choice for your Port of Entry? > Evenhough properly documented, due to what I consider as inexperience > with handling orchids, I lost almost a dozen orchids (mature plants) > when travelling into the Seattle Port of Entry last spring. > Secondly, for my own needs, which is a better choice, Los Angeles > or New > York? > Any other tips beyond port of entry on how to avoid difficulties would > help save orchids in transit. > This is an important consideration and I invite those of you who don't > normally comment to let me know here or by direct email. If there is > enough information, I would like to write a short article. So here's a > chance to contribute and stay anonymous if you prefer. > Thanks in advance, > Lee > > Lee Bredeson > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > _______________________________________________ > the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) > [email protected] > http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
