In the lead up to Valentine’s Day last year, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers inspected more than 1 billion cut flower stems and intercepted 823 dangerous pests, making January and February one of the busiest times for the agency’s agriculture specialists.
About 89 percent of imported flowers are shipped from South America and arrive at Miami International Airport. CBP agriculture specialists stationed there inspected more than 957 million fresh cut flower steps last year for dangerous pests and diseases in 2017.
“CBP agriculture specialists in Miami play a vital role before Valentine’s Day celebrations and are the first line of defense against destructive pests,” CBP Miami International Airport Port Director Christopher Maston said. “The extraordinary dedication and unwavering commitment of CBP’s workforce inspecting cut flower imports is key to protecting American agriculture.”
Rounding out the top five CBP field offices in terms of flower inspections in January and February 2017 were Los Angeles with 41.2 million, San Diego with 25.9 million, New York with 21.4 million, and Laredo with 11.4 million.
Most fresh cut flowers are imported from Colombia and Ecuador. And while most floral arrangements are safe, CBP warns that just one hitchhiking pest or plant disease can cause “significant damage.”