Customs Declaration

TObject wrote:
According to the Australian Customs web site about what needs to be
declared and what not, "Declare all animal and plant materials or
items
made from their parts"

I will be visiting Australia from abroad for the first time in
the near future. Parts of my shoes contain porcine leather,
and some of my clothes are made of natural fibers
(cotton, linen).

No need to be quite so literal. Decla
-anything that is obviously alive (e.g., the pet frog in your pocket)
-anything very recently alive (e.g., the ex-pet frog who unfortunately
expired in your pocket mid-flight)
-anything that could harbor living matter (e.g., dirt-caked hiking
boots, or a mask carved from a tree stump that has not been
"sterilized" in any way)
-anything intentionally brought in that is dormant but could easily
"come to life" (e.g., seeds).
Incidental live matter (e.g., plaque on your teeth, eyelash mites, mold
spores invisibly clinging to your clothing) need not be declared.

Nancy

Thanks everybody,

I just received an official answer from the Customs.
They recommended the Red channel.

Generally fibers/clothing & leather OK, but the leather may be subject to a
Quarantine Inspection.

Cheers! I am looking forward to my trip.

wrote:
On Mon, 11 Apr 2005 15:32:42 -0700, "TObject"
wrote:


"Peter Webb" wrote in message u...

Declare nothing except your stupidity

For your information linen and cotton are made of plants, and natural leather
and wool are made from animals. If you have information that clothing items
are exempt from the requirement, post it up


Exactly!

I get asked several times a week questions you wouldn't dream of
purely because people do not want to break any laws i.e. CITES,
country they are visiting.

In most cases, it's all ok however there's the odd one that is a curly
one and one has to email the authority concerned for an answer.

Even processed items can still require fumigation. i.e. one feather
on a hat band for example.

There is NO wrong question no matter how stupid or silly it may seem
to some. Better to be safe than sorry.

I fully agree! (See, Cath, I/we can do it! :-))

We have had several occasions where we doubted if a certain item was
OK, so we declared it on the form, went through the red channel and
showed it to them. In all cases it was OK, but as you say: Better to be
safe than sorry. For example in one case they were interested in the
shoes which we were *not* wearing, while others who were wearing similar
shoes could pass without worry (Yes, I (think I) understand why that
is.), and I had to disinfect them.

[1] For example cookies with ingredients which came from fruit or dairy
products. Is chocolate a dairy product? Etc..

wrote:
On Mon, 11 Apr 2005 15:32:42 -0700, "TObject"
wrote:


"Peter Webb" wrote in message u...

Declare nothing except your stupidity

For your information linen and cotton are made of plants, and natural leather
and wool are made from animals. If you have information that clothing items
are exempt from the requirement, post it up


Exactly!

I get asked several times a week questions you wouldn't dream of
purely because people do not want to break any laws i.e. CITES,
country they are visiting.

In most cases, it's all ok however there's the odd one that is a curly
one and one has to email the authority concerned for an answer.

Even processed items can still require fumigation. i.e. one feather
on a hat band for example.

There is NO wrong question no matter how stupid or silly it may seem
to some. Better to be safe than sorry.

I fully agree! (See, Cath, I/we can do it! :-))

We have had several occasions where we doubted if a certain item was
OK, so we declared it on the form, went through the red channel and
showed it to them. In all cases it was OK, but as you say: Better to be
safe than sorry. For example in one case they were interested in the
shoes which we were *not* wearing, while others who were wearing similar
shoes could pass without worry (Yes, I (think I) understand why that
is.), and I had to disinfect them.

[1] For example cookies with ingredients which came from fruit or dairy
products. Is chocolate a dairy product? Etc..