International Shipping Restrictions

Shipping to Canada

We have many customers in Canada and successfully ship many packages across the border every day. We always recommend checking with CIFA regarding items you are ordering, particularly if you are placing a large order. Generally, quantities of small vegetable seeds (lettuce, tomato, kale) weighing less than 500g (seed weight not package weight), and large seeds (bean, corn, squash) weighing less than 1kg meet the 'small lot' import exemption and require no additional documentation. However, for very large orders, or in the case of certain vegetable types sent to certain provinces, (for example, corn to BC) a Phytosanitary Certificate may be required. While these situations are rare, we advise checking CIFA for regulatory information before placing your order, as at this time we cannot provide a phytosanitary certificate.

• Corn shipments to British Columbia are prohibited. There are no restrictions on corn to other provinces.
  
• We are unable to meet requests for phytosanitary certificates.
• We strongly advise shipping to Canada via USPS International Mail; you will be able to select this option at checkout. Shipments sent via UPS often incur high import broker fees that are out of our control.
• We do our best to provide all of the required documentation and labeling on packages sent to Canada to provide the greatest relief to Canadian customers from import tariffs. Because most of our seeds are produced in North America and most of our products are manufactured here, most items in our catalog are exempt from duties.  However, additional taxes such as GST may be assessed on arrival. The payment of these fees is the responsibility of the recipient. The Canada Revenue Agency and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency can provide you with the latest information.
• We do not ship any vegetative materials such as tubers, bulbs, seedlings, or trees to any international destinations, including Canada.

Shipping to International Locations Other Than Canada

Each country has its own restrictions on which plants and seeds can be imported. We do our best to know and follow international shipping processes, however the responsibility rests with the customer in understanding the import regulations for the country to which you are shipping. If ordering outside the U.S, please first check with your government's agriculture division for these guidelines. Please refer to the table below for information on countries and products that we do not ship international, or are heavily restricted. 

• All orders outside of the U.S and Canada ship at your own risk. We do not guarantee shipments to other countries, and will not refund or reship missing international packages.  
  
• We are unable to provide Phytosanitary certificates.
• If you have placed restricted items in your cart, or are trying to ship an order to a country in the restricted list below, no shipping options will be available to you at checkout.
  
• If duties or taxes apply, you will be contacted by your customs office when the package arrives in your country. Any duties, taxes, or Importation fees relating to shipping internationally are the responsibility of the customer and not Hudson Valley Seed Company.
  

More details on restricted products:

International Shipping: Frequently Asked Questions

Question: The country I'd like to ship to is on the restricted list, what should I do? 

Many countries have strict import regulations in place in order to protect local ecosystems. We do not ship to any countries on this list and recommend looking for local seed sources.

Question: Are there any exceptions for shipping seeds to countries on the restricted list?

No, there are no exceptions!

Question: I want to order seeds to a location that is on the 'somewhat restricted' list, what do I do next?

Check the website of your Ministry of Agriculture for its import restrictions on seeds before placing your order. It's very likely that only certain seed types are restricted, and often the restriction applies only to weights over a certain threshol. Please note that if a phytosanitary certificate is required, we will not be able to provide this.

Question: How do I proceed with placing an order to locations on the 'somewhat restricted' list?

After you have checked your location's restrictions with your local government authorities, please proceed to assemble an order that meets the import tolerances of your location at a volume that does not require a phytosanitary certificate. Check out as per normal; our system will accurately calculate international shipping rates. Please be aware that ultimately all international orders ship at your own risk, as often the decision to permit the package entry at the port is left to individuals, some of whom may apply the rules differently than others. While most international orders that do not contain forbidden materials reach their destination without trouble, the percentage of international orders that run into trouble is higher than that of domestic orders. Because of this, we are unable to refund international orders once they leave our facility, even if they do not reach your destination.