Shipping Fruit From St. Croix

Per the custom forms you fill out when you fly from USVI to mainland U.S. you cannot take on board any fruits, vegetables or plants. For the same reason, I am fairly sure this same restriction applies to items sent through the USPS system. Puerto Rico, where all USVI mail must pass through. will subject any packages to customs inspections & they will confiscate fruits, vegetables, plants, & tobacco products.

Jumbie-STX

They will also confiscate alcohol--so don't try to mail rum.

great thanks, and i'll just stick to drinking the rum lol

Per the custom forms you fill out when you fly from USVI to mainland U.S. you cannot take on board any fruits, vegetables or plants. For the same reason, I am fairly sure this same restriction applies to items sent through the USPS system. Puerto Rico, where all USVI mail must pass through. will subject any packages to customs inspections & they will confiscate fruits, vegetables, plants, & tobacco products.

Jumbie-STX

Actually you can take numbers of different fruits, veggies and plants into the US mainland from the VI, but you have to declare them. There is a comprehensive list of permitted/forbidden fruits and veggies on the internet somewhere, and it's a full page of items, allowed and forbidden. Unfortunately I can't remember where the list is posted. The USDA usually has the lists available for distribution at the AG Fair booth if you ask, or you can call the USDA at the airport and they will tell you the site to download the list. Interestingly, you can bring citrus--- my limes go often--bananas as long as its only the fruit and not the stem or leaves; tomato; avocado and many more. Not mangos though. Some plants and seeds are allowed, but never soil..must have clean roots, and then it depends. You have to declare all the items, and the inspectors can examine them and refuse them if they think they are diseased or whatever. I've only had an inspection once leaving stx...and he just looked at the limes and said go ahead.... You can't take an apple though, even though any apple you have at the VI airport came from somewhere else, likely through a grocery store...they are forbidden...
this only pertains to non-commercial transport. As soon as it is commercial different rules apply regarding permits, and inspections, and such.
Sending via USPS is different again, and I don't know the rules. I do know PR has different rules than the VI, so it might be stopped there. Lots of issues with mailing things out of the VI..don't try to send prescription drugs in the mail, even in the original container and addressed to the name on the prescription, Customs will often stop them.

hmm all good things to know. The last thing I need to get brought down for forbidden fruit, but things like shipping prescription drugs i never would have even though of. Thanks beachy

They will also confiscate alcohol--so don't try to mail rum.

Sigh. I learned that one the hard way. They do send you a nice letter though. And you get to keep the box.

Re: prescription drugs -- dunno, I get most of my meds from Canadian pharmacies and I've had zero problems with customs. No special fancy dec forms either.

IT

We order prescription through the mail and have no trouble.

the drugs thing is only on the way OUT of the VI to the states by mail. You can get all you need/want/buy to come in by mail. Even the delegate's office got involved with customs and the post office on the prescription drugs going out thing, a couple years ago. Jjust don't forget your medicine when you're leaving the VI!
the pills in question had arrived in stx via USPS from a mail-order facility, no problem whatsoever...