Predeparture Passenger Baggage Inspection Notice for Travelers from the U.S. Virgin Islands to the U.S. Mainland

Plant Protection & Quarantine

October 2002

American agriculture is under constant threat of attack from countless enemies. These enemies are often microscopic and include plant pests and diseases. Every traveler, including those traveling from the U.S. Virgin Islands to the U.S. mainland, may unknowingly carry these hitchhikers that could seriously damage American agriculture across U.S. borders.

All travelers’ baggage moving from the U.S. Virgin Islands to the U.S. mainland is subject to predeparture inspection. These inspections are conducted by United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) officials prior to departure at the airport. Please be prepared to open and close your own baggage.
If you have any agricultural items with you, please tell the inspector. Failure to do so can result in delays and fines of $1,000 or more.

Agricultural Items From the U.S. Virgin Islands Permitted into the Mainland (after inspection):
Alium spp. (includes onion, garlic, and chives)
Amaranth, Amaranthus spp. (leaf, stem)
Anise
Annona spp. (leaf)
Arracacia xanthorrhiza
Arrowroot
Artichoke, Jerusalem
Asparagus
Avocados
Balsam apple
Bamboo shoots
Banana (fruit, leaf without stalk, or midrib)
Basil
Bay laurel
Beans in pods and shelled beans (faba, lima, string)— Entry varies depending on destination. Please
contact the USDA office for more information.
Beet
Bitter melon
Brassica oleracea (includes cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, kale, and collards)
Breadfruit
Breadnut
Cacoa bean pod
Cannonball fruit
Cantaloupe
Carrot
Cassava
Cauliflower
Celery
Chamomile, Anthemis spp.
Chayote
Chervil
Chicory
Chinese waternut
Chrysanthemum spp. (leaf, stem)
Cilantro
Citrus (grapefruit, orange, lemon, lime)
Corn-on-the-cob
Cornsalad, Valerianella spp.
Cucumber (includes Angola cucumber, Sicania odorata)
Cyperus corn
Dandelion greens (leaf, stem)
Dasheen, Colocasia, Caladium spp. and Xanthosoma spp.
Eggs
Eggplant
Endive
Ethrog (fruit)
False coriander
Fennel
Flowers, fresh cut or dried
Genip
Gingeroot
Gourd
Herbs, dried or cured
Honeydew melon
Horseradish, Armoracia spp.
Indigo, Indigofera spp. (leaf)
Insects, dried or preserved
Jackfruit
Kudzu—If not seed, tuberous roots, or stems with node (must not be capable of propagation).
Lambsquarter
Lemongrass, Cymbopogon citratus
Leren
Lettuce
Lily bulb, edible
Lotus root
Maguey
Mangosteen
Marjoram, Origanum spp. (leaf, stem)
Mint, Menta spp.
Mushrooms
Mustard greens
Okra (varies depending on destination. Contact USDA)
Oregano, Origanum spp. (leaf, stem)
Palm heart
Papaya
Parsley
Parsnip
Peas, in pod or shelled, Pisum sativum
Pet birds—Entry requirements vary depending on the
origin of the bird. Please consult USDA or APHIS’ Publication 1083 “Traveler’s Tips” for details on the entry requirements for pet birds.
Pineapple
Plant cuttings and plants without soil
Plantain (fruit, leaf without stalk, or midrib)
Pokeweed greens (leaf, stem)
Potato
Pumpkin
Purslane
Radish
Rhubarb
Rosemary (leaf)
Rutabaga
St. John’s bread
Salsify
Snail shells, if empty and thoroughly cleaned
Sorrel, Rumex spp.
Spinach
Squash
Stinking-toe (pod)
Strawberry
Sugarcane (must be peeled, cut, and free of knots)
Sweet potato (leaf only)
Swiss chard
Tamarind bean pods
Taro, Colocasia and Caladium spp.
Tarragon
Thyme
Tomato
Truffle
Turnip
Vegetable marrow
Water chestnut
Watercress
Watermelon
Yam, Dioscorea spp.
Yautia (tanier), Xanthosoma spp.
Note: Commercially canned and thoroughly cooked foods are permitted. All permissible agricultural products are subject to inspection.

Agricultural Items from the U.S. Virgin Islands Not Permitted into the Mainland
Cactus
Cotton, cotton cuttings
Fruits, fresh—All fruits are prohibited except those on the above list.
Insects, live
Plants in soil
Seed cotton and cottonseed
Snails (land)
Soil
Sugarcane
Sweet Potato
Vegetables, fresh—All vegetables are prohibited except those on the above list.
Lists are subject to change. For more information, visit the USDA office at the airport or call:
St. Croix (340) 778–1696
St. Thomas (340) 776–2787

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326–W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250–9410 or call (202) 720–5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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