Amazon U.S. Is banning foreign sales of plants and seeds as authorities try to condemn those who can send packets of mystery seeds to people who do not place orders. The Wall Street Journal Report.
U.S. Packets of Chinese postmarked seeds have been arriving in homes around the world for months now, with the U.S. Department of the Postal Service, the Department of Homeland Security, the Customs and Border Protection, and the Department of Agriculture investigating all matters in the U.S. Many seed packets were labeled as toys or jewelry. As of July, more than 27 U.S. states had reported the distribution of unwanted seeds. Chinese officials have said the postmark labels were not authentic.
USDA Says the U.S. Seeds and plants smuggled in can harm gardens, farms and the environment, and notes that “abusive packages for obtaining seed and other plant materials in the country are agricultural smuggling,” boycotting regulations that prevent it. U.S. Invading species, pests and plant diseases. Anyone who gets seeds that they did not order have been warned not to plant and to contact local authorities.
According to WSJ, Amazon has notified foreign sellers on its platform that it will no longer allow the import of seeds or plants until September 3rd. The company updated its vendor rules to include the new policy, and the sellers said in an email that the decision was “part of an ongoing effort to protect our customers and enhance the customer experience.”
Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment Edge On Sunday, but a company spokesman said this WSJ “Going forward, we are only allowing the sale of seeds by sellers based in the US.” Violation of the new guidelines could result in retrieval of the seller’s account, the company added.
