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Seeds With Special Requirements

and Prohibited Seeds

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Buying or selling seeds online? E-commerce itself may seem harmless, but some

seeds pose a significant risk to the United States. These products may carry plant

pests and pathogens or be a noxious weed. To safeguard U.S. agriculture, APHIS

prohibits certain types of seeds from entering the United States and enforces special

requirements for others—from permits and certificates to specific shipping and

labeling needs.

Importers must check if seeds have special requirements before they can be shipped

to the United States. Visit eFile, create an account (1.59 MB), and apply for a PPQ

587 permit to find out. This process can take up to 2 months, so plan accordingly

with your exporter.

Seeds With Special Requirements

Small Lots of Seed

While plants require both a permit and a phytosanitary certificate, some seeds only

require a permit.
Apply for PPQ 587 permit in eFile if all the following conditions are met:

Maximum of 50 seeds of 1 taxon (taxonomic category such as genus, species,

cultivar) per packet OR a maximum weight of 10 grams of seed of 1 taxon per

packet.

Maximum of 50 seed packets per shipment.

Seed is not a Federal noxious weed or parasitic plant, and it is not listed under

Not Authorized Pending Pest Risk Analysis (NAPPRA) (see Prohibited Seeds

below).

Seed does not require an additional declaration on a phytosanitary certificate

(see page 2-36 of the Plants for Planting Manual).

Seed is not pelleted, coated, or embedded in growing media, seed tape, cloth,

or similar materials (see Obscured Seeds below).

Seed does not need treatment (see Seeds That Require Treatment below).

Field/agricultural crop and vegetable seed meets the requirements of the

Federal Seed Act import provisions in 7 CFR 361.

Seed regulated under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered

Species (CITES) meets additional CITES requirements.

Seed regulated under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) meets additional ESA

requirements (see U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Endangered Species and

Endangered Species Act). Seeds of threatened plants are not regulated if they

come from cultivated plants.

Seed is accompanied by an invoice that includes the name of the seller,

scientific name of plant, country of origin, and seed lot code.

Each seed packet is labeled with name of the seller, scientific name of plant,

and country of origin.

Seeds are free from pesticides.

Seeds are securely packaged in packets or envelopes and sealed to prevent

spillage.

The shipment is sent to the APHIS Plant Inspection Station listed in the permit

using a green and yellow shipping label.

Important: Small quantities of tomato and pepper seeds are not eligible for import

under a PPQ 587 permit for Small Lots of Seed.

Obscured Seeds
Obscured seeds are seeds that are coated*, pelleted*, or embedded in tape, mats,

or any other substrate that obscures visibility. This includes seeds in closed

containers, such as cans, opaque packages, or educational kits that cannot be

inspected because of obscured visibility. Because obscured seed cannot be properly

inspected, it must meet the conditions below to enter the United States. Specifically,

the shipment must include:

Seeds that are generally admissible under a PPQ 587–Obscured Seed Permit to

Import Plants and Plant Products, do not require treatment, have no specific

restrictions, and are from an herbaceous plant. Woody plant seeds (from trees)

are not eligible.

A bare seed sample, which must accompany the shipment of obscured seed

and be presented to the Customs and Border Protection-Agriculture Inspection

(CBP-AI) Officer for inspection at the port of entry. An officially drawn and

sealed sample of bare seed taken from the lot before it was coated, embedded,

or pelleted and that is identified as “Official Seed Sample.”

A phytosanitary certificate issued by the country of origin.

A PPQ 587–Obscured Seed Permit to Import Plants and Plant Products.

*Coated seed: Any seed unit covered with any substance that changes the size,

shape, or weight of the original seed. Seeds coated with ingredients such as, but not

limited to, dyes, pesticides, and rhizobia are excluded.

*Pelleted seed: Any seed covered with a substance that changes the shape, size,

or weight of the original seed to improve its plantability.

Seeds That Require Treatment

Seeds of the following plants must be treated at a U.S. port of entry before they will

be released to the importer:

Abelmoschus spp. (okra) seeds

Castanea spp. (chestnut) seeds

Hibiscus spp. (hibiscus, rose mallow) seeds

Lathyrus spp. (peavine, sweet pea) seeds

Lens spp. (lentils) seeds

Quercus spp. (oak) seeds

Rutaceae (citrus) family seeds
Vicia spp. (fava bean, vetch) seeds

Guizotia abyssinica (niger) seeds can be treated at an APHIS-approved facility in the

country of export prior to importation or at the first port of entry after arrival in the

United States.

Seeds Regulated Under the Federal Seed Act

Shipments of agricultural and vegetable seeds regulated under the Federal Seed Act

require a phytosanitary certificate from the seed’s country of origin as well as a

declaration from the importer that states the kind, variety, and origin of each lot of

seed and its intended use. A PPQ 587–Permit to Import Plants or Plant Products also

may be required. Additionally:

Each container of seed must be labeled with the identification code or

designation for the seed lot.

Each container of treated seed must have a label that indicates what substance

or process was used to treat the seed. Substance names used on the label shall

be the commonly accepted, generic, or abbreviated chemical name.

The seed must be free of Federal noxious weeds (no tolerance) and Federal

Seed Act noxious weeds (with applicable tolerances).

You can find more information and view lists of agricultural and vegetable seeds

regulated under the Federal Seed Act in 7 CFR 361.

Seeds of Endangered Plants

Seeds of certain endangered species are protected under the Convention on

International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and the Endangered Species Act

(ESA). To import protected seed species, the buyer must obtain a PPQ 587–Permit To

Import Plants or Plant Products. You may also be required to obtain a PPQ

621–Permit To Engage in the Business of Importing, Exporting or Re-Exporting

Terrestrial Plants or Plant Products That Are Protected.

In addition, the seller must obtain a CITES Certificate/Permit from the country of

origin. This document must accompany the shipment.

To view lists of plants protected under CITES and ESA, go to:

CITES.org: See "Flora-Plants" toward the end of the list.
APHIS Plants for Planting Manual, Chapter 6

Seeds That Require Testing for Certain Diseases

Tomato and pepper seeds from all countries require testing for virus and viroid

diseases. These seeds must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate from the

country of origin with the additional declarations. Please refer to the Plants for

Planting Manual and the Agricultural Commodity Import Requirements portal for

import requirements.

Important: Small quantities of tomato and pepper seeds are not eligible for import

under a PPQ 587 permit for Small Lots of Seed.

Prohibited Seeds

Seeds That Are Not Authorized Pending Risk Analysis

Not Authorized Pending Pest Risk Analysis (NAPPRA) plants is a category of

regulated plants that cannot be imported into the United States until APHIS

completes a pest risk analysis and puts mitigation measures in place. Small

quantities of NAPPRA plants may be imported for experimental, therapeutic and

development purposes under strict quarantine conditions with a controlled import

permit (PPQ 588–Application for Permit to Import Prohibited Plants or Plant Products

for Experimental Purposes).

Some plant species from a few countries are exempt from the NAPPRA restrictions

based on pest risk assessment and trade history. Please refer to the NAPPRA web

page (see the NAPPRA Lists section) to view lists of NAPPRA plants and country

exemptions.

If you are importing a plant from a country for which there is a NAPPRA exemption,

then you would need:

Import permit for propagation (PPQ 587–Application for Permit to Import Plants

or Plant Products)

Phytosanitary certificate from country of origin

Federal Noxious Weeds
Seeds of Federal noxious weeds are prohibited from all countries. These seeds may

only be imported for research in an APHIS-approved containment facility with a PPQ

526–Permit To Move Live Plant Pests, Biological Control Agents, or Noxious Weeds.

Seeds of Parasitic Plants

Seeds of parasitic plants are prohibited from all countries. These seeds may only be

imported for research in an APHIS-approved containment facility with a PPQ

526–Permit To Move Live Plant Pests, Biological Control Agents, or Noxious Weeds.