Suppose it’s a typical houseplant commonly found in both countries.
Suppose the plant I am taking is not common to the country I am trying to sneak it into.
For the sake of this assume it’s not a “drug” plant. I was recently stopped by Canadian customs and it got me to thinking. If I had drugs or illegal technical data, I could certainly see them detaining me. But suppose I am trying to sneak something relatively benign like apple seeds or a piece of a vine I find growing in someone’s office. Would I be locked up and/or fined? Thanks. I have no intention of doing this.
Lying on a customs declaration form is a felony. IME, if you tell them you’re carrying plants or plant products/food of some sort, they will ask what it is and check it. If it’s something that’s permitted for import, they’ll let you bring it in. If not, they’ll confiscate it. No, they don’t let you import prohibited materials just as a reward for being honest about it.
If you want to know specifically what plant items are prohibited and what are permitted, the USDA will tell you.
Yes, they can jail your lying ass if they catch you not declaring prohibited goods.
It seems that every time I fly through California there’s an on-board video about bringing in plants or animals. I think they do take it very seriously.
I’m guessing that even if your plant seems common enough to you, authorities would still be concerned that it might carry parasites or other disease that could decimate some region’s agricultural sector.
Many years ago I was traveling from Michigan to my duty station in Upstate New York while in the Navy. My dad had a decent-sized yucca plant he wanted to move to New Jersey, and he asked me to take it with me.
But I was going through Canada.
It was a huge plant, and it was sitting in the bed of my pickup truck in full view. I had visions of waving goodbye to his plant somewhere on the median near the border.
The reality was much different: the Canadians couldn’t have cared less; at the other end, the Americans asked me a few brief questions about it and sent me on my way.
Well no shit. The point was whether they would detain me. (see OP where I said “Would I be locked up and/or fined?” and not “can I get away with it.”) Thanks for the non sarcastic points of your post though.
I once observed a woman ( a pregnant woman, no less ) who was eating an apple as she went through Canadian customs into the US. They made her finish the apple and discard the core before letting her through.
Unless you get a Nazi agent, they will at most confiscate it and let you through. Yes, lying on a customs form is an offense, but unless it is expensive jewelry or a fur coat or something, not much happens. Once I was traveling with a friend who had a box of Moroccan tangerines on the Montreal-NY train. The customs agent saw it and asked him if he was going anywhere near Florida. No, he answered and she just went on to the next person. To be honest, I did not really approve of what she did. It was Christmas day and she was obviously feeling mellow.
If you declare a plant that you’re not supposed to take into the country, the worst that happens is they confiscate it. If you lie, you’re subject at least to a scolding and possibly a hefty fine. Not worth it.
A few years ago the powers that be in the U.S. decided to crack down on the importation of seeds into this country, including seeds of ornamental plants that for years had passed into the U.S. without comment or incident. A number of plant societies and importers complied with the regulation; others found, um, ways around it.
One major British seed house sends mail orders in a plain brown envelope along with a printed form acknowledging the law, their efforts to change it, and the advice that it isn’t really necessary so they hope the inspector will be understanding.
What if I drive into Canada, park under some sort of tree that’s dumping seeds out of it and then drive back into the US? (I’m thinking those little helicopter things that pine trees drop at certain times of the year, if those are in fact seeds). There could be thousands of these things lurking under the cowl vent or in that little groove around the hood and trunk. The seeds might be stuck to the bottom of my shoe or all over the carpet. I may not even realize I’m carrying these seeds in, but suppose customs notices them? Are they going to take some measure to make sure that all of these stowaway seeds are removed from the car or my person before they let me back in?
I was going through the Windsor Tunnel in Canada when they searched my trunk. I has 4 small pieces of lumber. They removed then and tossed them in the dumpster they had. Said it might be Ash and they did not want ash bore.It was treated like no big deal.