We told you about these new requirements last year. You can refresh your memory on them by reading our most recent E-mail Extra Bulletin about it on our web site (see Trophy Shipment Boondoggle Emerging, posted June 10). It seems that despite warnings, some shipping companies have used unacceptable packing materials, resulting in a number of trophy shipments being sent back to Spain, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The regulations went into effect last September, but shippers were given a grace period to comply. That grace period has ended, and as of July 1, all noncompliant shipments will be returned without exception at the cost of the receiver/importer.
The reshipment of trophies is not only costing a lot of money, but it is creating a paperwork nightmare from some clients. Seems a number of the shipments being sent back to their countries of origin contained CITES animals, and because the crates cleared US Fish & Wildlife Service before going to USDA, affected hunters must re-apply for CITES permits before their trophies can be re-shipped to them.
If you have trophies in a foreign country that have not been shipped yet, you may want to get in touch with the company handling your trophies. Find out if the crating material they plan to use meets the new standards. Heavy duty cardboard cartons, by the way, do not require the special stamps that wood crates need. Tell your shipper to visit the APHIS web site at www.aphis.usda .gov/ppg/wpm/; or visit the IPPC web site at www.ippc.int/IPP/En/ispm.jsp.
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