Trouble With Customs & Hops?

[edoeven]

hey guys, not sure if this is the correct forum... but here goes anyway Due to our high AUD$, I recently purchased some hops from the states. They have been stopped by customs, due to risk of disease or insects! Customs listed them as "pet food". Hmmm... I was under the impression that it was fine to import pellets, but flowers was bad... these are all pellets.

Anyone else had this problem? what info did you provide to calm them down/ let you have your tasty hops...?

Hopefully they can be convinced, I really want those hops haha

 

[felten]

How do you mistake hop pellets for pet food pellets? that's pretty daft.

 

[MattC]

I was under the impression that it was fine to import pellets, but flowers was bad... these are all pellets.

Can anyone confirm this??

Want to buy hop flowers from states

Cheers

 

[mxd]

I've bought 2 lots of Hops in and had no issues.

 

[BrenosBrews]

Can anyone confirm this??

Want to buy hop flowers from states

Cheers

No, you cannot import hop flowers from the US or Europe. There are certain hop disease & pest issues which are not here or in New Zealand. Little Creatures had to go through a fair bit to get a special excemption I believe.

Pellets are processed in a different way so that's why we can get them.

 

[jyo]

My last order was at my door from the US in 3 weeks. Customs kindly opened the vac packs to inspect and left them unsealed :angry:
I am currently waiting on an order...4 weeks and counting...I hope they haven't been lost... getting nervous.
Cheers, John.

 

[tavas]

Check with AQIS. They will tell you what you can and can't import.

 

[dgilks]

Customs should have provided a contact number on the notice they sent you. I would contact them and ask why they aren't letting them in. Specifically I would mention import condition C9967 which governs the import of hop pellets and can be found in the ICON database. The condition basically allows them in as long as the packaging is new and there are no live insects or quarantine risk items in with the pellets.

 

[Muggus]

Where's Josh when you need him?

You'd hope they were actually labeled as hops in the first place. Having said that, I can't imagine alot of people...including customs people...knowing what hops looks like/forms they come in. Sounds a bit dodgy if others are having no trouble getting hops through customs though.

 

[pbrosnan]

Received about 2.5Kg in the mail with no issues. Customs hadn't opened the vacuum packs.

 

[Sammus]

http://www.aqis.gov.au/icon32/asp/ex_casec...;LogSessionID=0

Non-Commercial

1. The conditions under the Commercial section apply.

Commercial

1. An Import Permit is not required.

2. Each consignment must be free of live insects and other quarantine risk material before arrival in Australia.

3. Any packaging used with the consignment must be clean and new.

4. Consignments are exempt from inspection.

5. Random inspections will be conducted to verify that the consignment is free of quarantine risk material.

 

[BobtheBrewer]

I have imported two lots of hops. The last lot, 15lbs, cleared Customs five days after the order was received. It took another couple of days for Auspost to deliver them but although Customs had opened the box they did not open any of the vacuum packs either time. On the Customs Declaration and Despatch Note they were described as "HOP PELLET/FOOD INGREDIENT"

 

[bignath]

I have imported 5lbs of hops (approx. 2.5kg's) and the package was opened by customs. They "punctured" one of the packets and had a quick look, but they allowed them through. Can't remember how they were described. Individual packets of hops were obviously labelled as hops though...

Hop pellets seem to be fine, flowers not so fine...

 

[edoeven]

thanks for the specific info guys, will be giving them a call tomorrow I entirely suspect just some customs people getting over zealous etc...

 

[chadjaja]

I got half a kilo today and its the usual. A customs sticker, pamphlet inside but the package still wrapped up and sealed untouched.

 

[Swinging Beef]

I got half a kilo today and its the usual. A customs sticker, pamphlet inside but the package still wrapped up and sealed untouched.

Thats how we got our last 10kg from the USA from Hops Direct.

 

[Fourstar]

A customs sticker, pamphlet inside but the package still wrapped up and sealed untouched.

Thats how mine where except one vacpac had been 'probed'. it appeared like it was still vacpacked as it hadnt expended but they did take a peek-a-boo inside a packet.

 

[Back Yard Brewer]

hey guys, not sure if this is the correct forum... but here goes anyway Due to our high AUD$, I recently purchased some hops from the states. They have been stopped by customs, due to risk of disease or insects! Customs listed them as "pet food". Hmmm... I was under the impression that it was fine to import pellets, but flowers was bad... these are all pellets.

Anyone else had this problem? what info did you provide to calm them down/ let you have your tasty hops...?

Hopefully they can be convinced, I really want those hops haha

I had the exact same issue with my last order. Received a letter saying the same as above. After a very urgent phone call to customs it was all sorted and released to me.
Any future orders I will have it clearly marked as to what the pellets are. Having ordered quite a number of times this was my first hitch.

BYB

 

[O'Henry]

Mine cleared customs in 2 hours. Order arrived with all bags still sealed up. They had opened the box, but nothing else. Consistency from the customs officials would be nice...

 

[edoeven]

so I managed to get in contact with customs today, they were fine to deal with, but didn't really know what was going on. I got them to look up hop pellets on the icon database, which they said was fine, but ONLY if the hops were not used as stock feed/ pet food.

I assured them I would only use them for brewing (honest!!). The chick on the phone seemed fine with that, but apparently the inspecting officer had specified that an end use declaration was needed before they could be released. I was tempted to ask them to store them in a freezer or something... hmmm.

So fired off an email to hops direct, hopefully they can quickly bash something up, I then email that to customs, and get my hops finally... haha... then feed them all to unsuspecting pets. lol ;D not sure why they cant just get a declaration from me re. end use, surely that would be more meaningful that one from the supplier? ahh well