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I am going to Hawaii shortly, from Canada, & want to bring some bits & pieces, both US/Can & some exotic woods (in my suitcase) as a little gift to another builder. Do you think I will have any problems.
US/Can apple, hornbeam, holly, cherry, spruce, lignum vitae
exotics (I bought in the states) A blackwood, cocobolo, bloodwood

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Mike McNerney

Well, yes you could very much have a problem, and the cocobolo will definitely be a problem. I think you'd be better off to ship it through Canada post to where you're going to be, sans coco.

Lignin vitae is also on cites, appendix 2 if I remember correctly

As others have said you need to leave out the CITES woods. I would also recommend shipping them ahead. You can use Expedited parcel service through Canada post and it will usually arrive in 4-5 business days. Doesn't hurt to give an extra day or two. mark them as wood samples (gift) and you shouldn't have any problem.

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Josh House

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My daughter is with USDA APHIS in Los Angeles. She consulted one of their botanists. My daughter then told me as below. So, I think I agree with the others, i.e., mail it and cross your fingers.


"It seems like it will depend on the inspector he gets when he arrives. If the product is finished, manufactured, processed, or weathered to the extent that pests would be excluded then his items would be inspected and released with the exception of CITES material. The only one that looks like it might be a problem is the cocobolo unless it is NOT considered logs, lumber, plywood, or veneer. That's why I asked if he had scientific names. For commercial shipments of any lumber (not just CITES) we would request heat treatment certificates, invoices, phytosanitary certificates, bill of lading, CITES documents (CITES species only). Since this is a small personal shipment in passenger baggage the odds are that it would be inspected then released if they even look at his stuff. I don't know how strict they are in Hawaii. This probably isn't the answer he wants. "