16. SHIPPING SPECIES TO KEW

16a.  Packaging

In general, it is critical to the successful conservation of the seed that it is sent to the seed bank within a few days of collection, together with the completed field data forms, using one of the air freight companies listed below.  Voucher photos and herbarium specimens may be sent for verification at a later date, and any other additional information may be sent to the program coordinators quoting the unique collection number given to the seed collection.

As often as possible, place your entire seed collection in one bag.  Keep a variety of sizes of bags on hand.  Make sure that the seed bags are clearly labeled with the unique collection number.  The preferred labels are those that can be neatly tied to the neck of the bag with string.  This should allow for the bag to be opened and checked while in transit to the seed bank.  As an additional precaution, place a second label on top of the seeds inside the bag.  RBG, Kew prefers that we do not write on the cotton seed bags with permanent marker because it hinders their re-use in the seed collection program.

The labeled bags should be securely packaged for shipping to RBG, Kew.  The following packaging is recommended, either:

• Sturdy cardboard box (secured with string to permit customs inspection and resealing) into which cotton seed bags have been placed
• A canvas or thick cotton sealable sack
• Woven PVC or nylon air freight sack

Do not use the following for shipping seeds to the RBG, Kew:

• Any non-breathable bags or containers
• Any bags made from plastic or from PVC backed fabric (although you may be instructed to ship fleshy fruits in PVC bags as part of a shipment, see Section 15).

Plant Health restricted species listed below cannot be shipped to Kew, UK without a Letter of Authority to UK customs or a phytosanitary certificate issued by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).  A Letter of Authority to UK customs can be obtained by contacting Janet Terry at Kew (seedbank@kew.org) with details of the collections, ideally pre-collection so that there is ample time to send the paperwork to you.

We recommend that you get a plant health letter from RBG, Kew for this program rather than an APHIS phytosanitary certificate.  There is no cost for a letter from Kew, but there is a $25.00 fee for a phytosanitary certificate and inspection is not routinely available in most towns where BLM offices are located.  Remember, these are only required for shipments of specific seeds and fruits listed below.  They are not required for any other species.

You will need a Letter of Authority issued by Janet Terry at RBG Kew (seedbank@kew.org) to send SEED from the following plants from the USA to RBG Kew:  Allium ascalonicum; Allium cepa; Allium porrum; Allium schoenoprasum; Beta vulgaris; Capsicum; Helianthus annuus; Lycopersicon lycopersicum; Medicago sativa; Oryza; Phaseolus; Prunus; Rubus; Secale; Triticum; Zea mays.

You will need a Letter of Authority issued by Janet Terry at RBG Kew (seedbank@kew.org) to send FRUITS from the following plants from the USA to RBG Kew:  Annona; Cydonia; Citrus; Diospyros; Fortunella; Malus; Mangifera; Passiflora; Poncirus; Prunus; Psidium; Pyrus; Ribes; Syzygium; Vaccinum.

As more becomes known about the potential hosts of Phytophthera ramorum (sudden oak death), the APHIS-listed species in Section 16d of the protocol are now to be treated as quarantine species for entry to UK and will need a Letter of Authority issued by Janet Terry at RBG Kew (seedbank@kew.org).

Potato relatives (any member of the Solanaceae family) have also acquired quarantine status for import into the UK and will need a Letter of Authority issued by Janet Terry at RBG Kew (seedbank@kew.org).

Please note: Vitis species (and also true seed of potato and other tuber-forming or stoloniferous Solanceae) are totally prohibited for import into the European Union, so on no account ship Vitis collections to the UK under this program.

U.S. phytosanitary certificates are not requited for shipment of seeds to RBG, Kew when the species listed above have a letter of authority from RBG, Kew.  If your collection has been positively identified and is not within the above listed genera, UK authorities will not require any additional paperwork.  If your shipping company asks for a phytosanitary certificate, contact the program coordinator to try to resolve the problem.

Hosts of Phytophthora ramorum, known as sudden oak death may require a phytosanitary certificate for re-entry of seeds into the U.S.  The known host plants of sudden oak death listed by APHIS (http://www.aphis.usda.gov/) where phytosanitary certificates may be required are:

Contact seedbank@kew.org for more instructions before sending any of these species to RBG, Kew.

Over 600 species of US plants are controlled by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).  International transfer of specimens of these species may require export and import licenses depending on the species and the part of the plant involved.  For Seeds of Success, the only CITES material that will be shipped internationally to RBG, Kew, is clean seed of either Appendix II or Appendix III species.  Herbarium vouchers of these collections should only be sent to the U.S. National Herbarium and local herbaria, thus there is no need to contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for permits, since herbarium material and live plants will not be sent to RBG, Kew.  Follow the shipping process detailed below.  CITES listed species shipped domestically do not need further documentation and seeds do not need to be cleaned before domestic shipment.

Shipping Procedures for Appendix II and Appendix III Species Cacti, Orchids, and Sarracenia Species

16f. Arranging Shipment via Air Freight  

RBG, Kew has accounts with DHL and FedEx for the sole purpose of express shipping seed collections and appropriate field data to Kew for processing.  Please always send the data forms along with the seed collections as this helps to accession the collections correctly.  Herbarium specimens may be sent either by express freight or by standard airmail.

DHL is the program’s preferred freight agent, and full DHL shipping instructions follow below.  If DHL will come to your office location and pick up, then you are required to use DHL.  If DHL will not pick up shipments from your location, please contact the National Coordinator to get help with resolving the problem.

To arrange a pick-up, to get information about the nearest DHL office or to track a shipment already made, call 1800-CALL DHL or (480) 303 5797 or visit http://www.dhl-usa.com/.  You are required to include the following documents with the shipment:

**To avoid loss and confusion, include a copy of all documents inside the box as well as the external shipping envelope.

Pre-addressed DHL airway bills are available from the program coordinators.  DHL will supply blank airway bills for completion by hand if necessary, the following details should be entered.

1.  From (Sender)
Account Number (call the SOS National Office for the number: 202-912-7233)
Sender Name (enter your name)
Company Name and Address (enter your organization name and address)

2. To (Receiver)
Company Name (Millennium Seed Bank)
Delivery Address (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Wakehurst Place: Ardingly Near Haywards Heath: West Sussex; Postcode RH17 6TN, United Kingdom)
Contact Person (Keith Manger)
Contact Phone Number (01444-894-151)

3.  Shipment Details
Worldwide Parcel Express; Transport Collect, NO Shipment Insurance;
Description of Contents (non commercial wild plant seeds and herbarium specimens collected from the USA for scientific purposes, plus associated documents)
Declared Value for Customs ($1 per collection or other reasonable figure, as entered on the invoice)
Permanent Export: Receiver pays all duties/taxes

*Due to abuse of the account number, the new account number is not being made public.

Please use the form prepared for the program in Appendix 3, noting the following points:

• Invoices must be originals
• Invoices must be completed on the letterhead of your organization, if available
• Invoices should be typewritten, if possible
• Invoices must not have any handwritten or obvious typewritten corrections
• Details on the invoice must match those given on the airway bill
• Five original signed invoices are required

Use of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew account for shipping with FedEx is limited for use by only those offices where DHL will not make a pick up.  If you cannot ship with DHL, please contact the National Coordinator to attempt to resolve the problem and get shipments set up.  The Coordinator will need the name of the city where DHL is located that would need to come to your office, and the name of the person in DHL who you talked to when trying to set up a pickup at your office.  If the National Coordinator cannot reach agreement with DHL for timely pickup, then permission will be given to use the RBG, Kew shipping account with FedEx. 

Be careful not to use the regular BLM FedEx account number on any FedEx airway bills or the combined FedEx Invoice and Notification of Transfer document when sending collections to RBG, Kew.  BLM Field Offices do not typically budget money for international courier service, and someone will notice if the cost of using FedEx skyrockets in your office.  The sub activities you work in could be taxed to pay the substantial shipping charges.  Since RBG, Kew is willing to pay for courier service for all shipments of seed and plant material to the Millennium Seed Bank, please make sure that the account number you use is the correct one.  Also, shipping costs are a part of the in-kind match that Kew gives to BLM for any challenge cost share type of program involving the Seeds of Success program.

The following documents are required for shipment with FedEx:

**To avoid loss and confusion, include a copy of all documents inside the box as well as the external shipping envelope.

FedEx will supply blank airway bills for completion by hand if necessary; the following details should be entered.

1.  From (Sender)
Account Number (call the SOS National Office for the number: 202-912-7233)
Sender Name (enter your name)
Company Name and Address (enter your organization name and address)

2. To (Receiver)
Company Name (Millennium Seed Bank)
Delivery Address (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Wakehurst Place: Ardingly Near Haywards Heath: West Sussex; Postcode RH17 6TN, United Kingdom)
Contact Person (Keith Manger)
Contact Phone Number (01444-894-151)

3.  Shipment Details
Worldwide Parcel Express; Transport Collect, NO Shipment Insurance;
Description of Contents (non commercial wild plant seeds and herbarium specimens collected from the USA for scientific purposes, plus associated documents)
Declared Value for Customs ($1 per collection or other reasonable figure, as entered on the invoice)
Permanent Export: Receiver pays all duties/taxes

Please use the form prepared for the program in Appendix 3, noting the following points:

• Invoices must be originals
• Invoices must be completed on the letterhead of your organization, if available
• Invoices should be typewritten, if possible
• Invoices must not have any handwritten or obvious typewritten corrections
• Details on the invoice must match those given on the airway bill
• Five original signed invoices are required