bringing hops back to AUS from U.S

[HoppingMad]

Brought pellets across from New Zealand and US myself.

My experience:

USA Pellets via Post: Bags cut open in transit and re-sealed. A little AQIS note letting me know they were checked was left in the box.
NZ Pellets via Customs in baggage (First time): Declared them on entry and was asked if they were in sealed packaging and they were. Brought in around 2kg without issue. They were all in sealed foiled bags and some snap-seal bags. Was packing it a little coming in though! :lol:
NZ Pellets via Customs in brother's bags (Second time): Wasn't with him and they were confiscated by overzealous Customs person who didn't know the difference between flowers and pellets. They were mailed back to us with a heartfelt apology from AQIS.

If you do your homework with google you'll see that AQIS/DAFF will seize flowers without permits. Plants and Rhizomes as well. That's a no-brainer as soil coming in is a real no-no.

Links to the guidelines are here:
Hop pellets & Hop Extract: http://apps.daff.gov.au/icon32/asp/ex_casecontent.asp?intNodeId=8001256&intCommodityId=936&Types=none&WhichQuery=Go+to+full+text&intSearch=1&LogSessionID=0
Hop Flowers & Plugs: http://apps.daff.gov.au/icon32/asp/ex_casecontent.asp?intNodeId=8775939&intCommodityId=21666&Types=none&WhichQuery=Go+to+full+text&intSearch=1&LogSessionID=0

All the best with it, personally I'd be going pellets all the way. You'll lose it, or run a big risk otherwise.
I do note that New Zealand seems to be exempt from the Hop Flowers & Plugs list so that's an option maybe.

Hopper.

 

[mattfos01]

Yeah when I came back from the US two years ago I had the prints outs from daff with me. The Aquis person on the line didn't really know what the go was but was happy to look it up and tick it off without too much too much drama. Put it down on your incoming pax card and no worries.