No rice import into USA (either by mail, passenger baggage or otherwise)

[21stCenturyRelo]

Dear R2I Forum members,

See attached customs notification that restricts people from importing rice into USA either via mail or passenger baggage or by other means.

[ATTACH]3385[/ATTACH]

Hope this helps

Yogesh

[boca]

Yogesh, how does this affect import of rice from India by the grocers? Are we looking at supply being throttled in the near future? I am damned if it is. I need my thayir sadam! (curd rice) :)

[21stCenturyRelo]

boca,

If you see the wording of the notification, it talks of shipments of "non-commercial rice". So if you go to India you may not be allowed to bring back rice. In my opinion commercial shipments of rice imported by grocers may still be allowed as they may be following strict pre-shipment inspection norms and even post shipment inspection etc. You may still get to enjoy your thayir sadam!

Yogesh

[boca]

boca,

If you see the wording of the notification, it talks of shipments of "non-commercial rice". So if you go to India you may not be allowed to bring back rice. In my opinion commercial shipments of rice imported by grocers may still be allowed as they may be following strict pre-shipment inspection norms and even post shipment inspection etc. You may still get to enjoy your thayir sadam!

Yogesh

Thanks, Yogesh. I did read that "non-commercial" part and was wondering about the "commercial" part, if such inspections are in place. I have found insects in rice that I bought from Indian grocers. Don't know if they happened after the rice got here or before.

I also read that this was found in a bag of barley seeds from India at the Indianapolis airport. http://www.fox59.com/news/wxin-beetle-indianapolis-officials-discover-destructive-insect-20110721,0,918263.story.

I guess it is more than just rice that one needs to watch out for.

[b2blr]

We have been getting our basmati rice from Costco for the past several years.