Possible to take wood (lumber) from Israel to USA?
Apr 29, 2019, 12:59 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: SFO
Posts: 384
Possible to take wood (lumber) from Israel to USA?
I do a lot of woodworking, and particularly love working with olive wood (it turns beautifully). I have ended up in Jerusalem for a few days and would love to find some olive wood to take home with me. Is that allowed?
To be clear - I don't want a finished piece of wood - more what I'm looking for is maybe better called lumber. Just a rectangular chunk of wood, likely with some bark still attached.
Is this allowed? I've googled for a while but found inconclusive results.
To be clear - I don't want a finished piece of wood - more what I'm looking for is maybe better called lumber. Just a rectangular chunk of wood, likely with some bark still attached.
Is this allowed? I've googled for a while but found inconclusive results.
Apr 29, 2019, 5:59 am
#2
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: DEL
Posts: 1,056
Thanks to the massive numbers of forest pests, etc. out there, you need a permit to import unfinished wood (lumber, sticks, etc., as opposed to things made of wood like furniture or picture frames) into the US. So the short answer is no.
Apr 29, 2019, 8:56 am
#3
Moderator: Travel Safety/Security, Travel Tools, California, Los Angeles; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: oneword Emerald
Posts: 20,639
In addition, according to the FAQ page, it would appear that the wood must be quarantined and heat treated before being released from quarantine.
ETA: There are at least a couple of olive wood slabs, blocks and logs sellers with outlets in Texas, Bethlehem Olive Wood Factory and Holy Land Olivewood.
Last edited by TWA884; Apr 29, 2019 at 9:08 am Reason: Additional information
May 4, 2019, 2:42 pm
#5
Join Date: May 2009
Location: South Park, CO
Programs: Tegridy Elite
Posts: 5,678
I've brought back small pieces of unfinished wood (larger sticks and chunks of wood), declared it, and after inspection been allowed to keep it. It likely depends a lot on the specifics including origin, species, and state of the wood. I'm not saying you can or can't bring it back, just that the above-cited USDA regulations on wood products are complex and with specific definitions, caveats, and exceptions...pretty hard to state for certain without expertise. You may want to simply contact USDA customer service (below) and find out more definitively:
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/banner/contactus
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/banner/contactus