I saw this link over at Cloudforest for a USDA certificate program to import small lots of seeds to the US.

and the price of a phytosanitary certificate is dependent upon the source country.

Here is a link that might be useful: USDA small lots of seeds program

Thanks for the link!!
They simply put that there was no phytosanitary certificate, which is true. So technically, they're within the means of doing this.
I'm still upset, because there wasn't any previous seizure from this seller and it was in tied up plastic bags without insect infestation nor were the seeds of any type of crop competition or from an endangered species.
Perhaps on a different day in a different port of entry there would have been no problem, but this time there was.

Tropicaliste, The same thing happened to me on Wednesday. The mangosteen seeds I ordered from ebay were confiscated. I got the same empty package with a homeland security sticker on it and a folded letter inside notifying me my seeds were confiscated. What I did though was I applied for a seed permit last week so before I order seeds again I will have the permit so they cant take em. You can set up an ePermit account at the USDA website and everything is handled online. Goodluck with the seeds next time man.

Sorry about your loss of seeds. When you find out how much the PC costs, let us know. I've received seeds from many countries without a problem, but perhaps they tightened things up in the last year.

Gary

No such problems for me. Have heard some stories about California destination adresses having more jerks opening mail than does Florida.

Better luck next time.

Even a permit does not help sometimes.

Alan

Hey Trop...sorry about your seeds getting snatched. I don't want to rub salt in your wounds, but the seeds I sent from Thailand almost 3 weeks ago just got here. A lot of them were moldy and some smelled like they started fermenting! It was a heady smell when I opened the package. Most looked alright but some had to be pitched. Some real athletic type just might be able to swim from Thailand in less than 3 weeks! Talk about snail mail. Wow. Probably nothing will germinate. I don't know if it's worth all the trouble.

Thanks everyone!
Murahalin: I'll have to look into getting one of those. How much did it cost? I know it's necessary to confiscate sometimes, but honestly in cases like this what real harm is it going to cause? Our sellers aren't sending dirty seeds, and we're not talking marijuana seeds.

dghays: I've gotten seeds from the same seller in Ecuador last year, and I've gotten seeds from Malaysia, and the Philippines too, without a hitch. I think if the port of entry had been the airport near my address they would have saw a local and let it pass.

Alan: California is usually where those stories come from; makes sense because of the crops that could possibly be damaged, but no way are my temps gonna' allow me to create some Mabolo business.

ohiojay: I had that same problem with the second order of Pulasan. They smelled fermented like alcohol and of course didn't germinate. Are the seeds that were smuggled...I mean...carried back, germinating? lol.

Tropicaliste, I think its free. I already submitted the permit forms and it didn't cost me anything. All I had to do though was go to the district USDA office for them to activate my account. I don't know why they had to take my mangosteen seeds. I really doubt they will become an invasive pest lol. I only wish they would grow that fast.

Trop...none of the mangosteen have popped up yet. I did peek at a couple of seeds and they have sent out a shoot downwards. Couple of the others have come up.

so ohiojay,

from where on the mangosteen did the shoot downwards come from? Not sure if Hong Kong requires some nasty seed-killing disinfection for Thai mangosteen being imported... and I didn't smuggle any mangosteen or durian seeds back from this last trip. (actually it's not smuggling here, since the HK law allows seed importation without a license.)