[NHCOLL-L:2649] Re: IATA and China
Gregory Watkins-Colwell
gregory.watkins-colwell at yale.edu
Wed May 11 11:30:07 EDT 2005
I use the online service from FedEx so that I don't have to continually
explain what it is in the box and/or WHY I am doing this. Plus it seems a
sad case when I have to explain the regulations to the person on the phone.
Of course, the online form doesn't tell me if Today country X is accepting
hazardous materials or not. But it also doesn't panic about the notion of
a dead snake in a box.
Greg
At 08:54 AM 5/11/2005 -0500, you wrote:
>Thanks Greg,
>
>This is interesting, as it seems like dealing with these couriers is
>always a case of luck. Meaning, the answers you get depend on who you
>talk to. In the case of the package our Fishes staff sent to Brazil, our
>collection manager spoke with several people at DHL, at several different
>management levels, receiving assurances that she had packed and labelled
>everything correctly. All this just to have the package stopped halfway
>to its destination and returned because it turns out it wasn't acceptable
>after all.
>
>My favorite personal experience dealing with the couriers' happened a few
>months ago when I called FedEx to schedule pickup of a couple packages,
>one to Japan and one to France. The customer service rep said they could
>not accept the packages since they contain "dead animals". I even talked
>to a person in their legal department and pleaded and tried to argue the
>case that these are biological specimens, they are for scientific
>research, etc., etc., but I was unsuccessful. The fact that they were
>hazmat was not the issue. This all came up because the service rep asked
>me what was in the package, and I said "museum specimens for scientific
>research". She needed more detailed info, and so I told her "preserved
>reptiles". She then said, "oh, I don't think we can ship that" and I was
>on and off hold for several minutes while she tried to get an
>answer. Eventually I talked to a paralegal who put me on hold while she
>spoke to one of the lawyers, so this did come from a position of some
>authority within FedEx.
>
>There is a prohibition on FedEx's web site against sending dead animals -
>click on "Terms and Conditions" on the right side of this page: (
>http://www.fedex.com/us/services/intl/priority.html?link=4 ). This opens
>a JavaScript window - look at #30, "Prohibited Items". Number 20 under
>that section is what they are basing this on, I suppose. Sorry insect
>folks - you are singled out!
>
>Now, I realize many of you use FedEx for shipping hazmat (and non-hazmat)
>specimens everyday without incident. But my point is simply, beware! You
>may find yourself being told the same thing.
>
>Jamie
>
>
>
>
>At 5/11/2005 07:49 AM, Gregory Watkins-Colwell wrote:
>>oddly enough, I ship via FedEx to Australia a few times a year. Always
>>with the Excepted Quantities sticker on the box. It gets held up on
>>their end all the time, but always for different reasons. Once, because
>>the recipient institution did not have a permit on file to receive such
>>goods (or that was the story at least). And at least once because I did
>>not include a letter stating the chemical history of the specimens. They
>>wanted to know not just what they were in NOW, but what they had been in
>>BEFORE. Just recently it was held up on their end because the ship-to
>>address was wrong. The reason it was wrong is that I had to use an older
>>address for Western Australian Museum because FedEx would not accept the
>>Post Code for the new address.
>>
>>Point is, wet specimens packed appropriately and labelled honestly did in
>>fact get into Australia. It took a while. But it did happen.
>>
>>
>>greg
>>
>>At 02:16 PM 5/10/2005 -0500, you wrote:
>>>Hi everyone,
>>>
>>>One of the folks in our Division of Insects was just told of similar
>>>limitations by personnel from both FedEx and UPS. He was told both
>>>companies consider excepted quantities packages to be no different from
>>>other dangerous goods packages in terms of acceptability for
>>>shipment. Both companies also said that numerous countries will not
>>>accept any dangerous goods packages (including excepted quantities)
>>>under any circumstances. They were clear that these restrictions are
>>>instituted by the countries themselves, not the couriers. According to
>>>FedEx and UPS staff, included among these countries are Mexico, Czech
>>>Republic, Guatemala, Australia, and New Zealand. FedEx does not publish
>>>a list of countries that will accept dangerous goods shipments, but UPS
>>>does (
>>>http://www.ups.com/content/us/en/resources/prepare/idg/information/country.html
>>>).
>>>
>>>As Greg asked, has anyone else been told similar things? I thought
>>>these limitations were those of the couriers, not the countries. DHL
>>>has a similar list of countries that will accept excepted quantities
>>>packages, and while it is slightly larger than the UPS list, it is still
>>>very restrictive. Staff in our Division of Fishes tried sending an
>>>excepted quantities package to Brazil, only to have it returned after
>>>getting as far as Miami because Brazil is not on DHL's list. Likewise,
>>>there are no Central or South American countries on the UPS list.
>>>
>>>Have any of you had shipments to specific countries returned (or worse)
>>>because the countries will not accept dangerous goods packages?
>>>
>>>Thanks,
>>>
>>>Jamie
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>At 5/9/2005 01:42 PM, Gregory Watkins-Colwell wrote:
>>>>Does anyone know if China accepts packages of "hazardous materials" if
>>>>packaged in accordance with IATA regulations?
>>>>
>>>>Turns out that some countries do not accept any hazardous materials
>>>>packages regardless of how packed and I'm wondering if China might be
>>>>one of those countries.
>>>>
>>>>Greg
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>******************************************************
>>>>* Gregory J. Watkins-Colwell *
>>>>* Herpetology and Ichthyology *
>>>>* Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History *
>>>>* 170 Whitney Avenue, P. O. Box 208118 *
>>>>* New Haven, CT 06520-8118 *
>>>>* Phone: 203/432-3791 *
>>>>* FAX: 203/432-2874 *
>>>>* http://www.peabody.yale.edu *
>>>>******************************************************
>>>
>>>
>>>Mr. James B. Ladonski
>>>Collection Assistant
>>>Division of Amphibians and Reptiles
>>>The Field Museum
>>>1400 S. Lake Shore Drive
>>>Chicago, IL 60605-2496 USA
>>>phone: 312-665-7722
>>>fax: 312-665-7697
>>>email: jladonski at fieldmuseum.org
>>>http://www.fieldmuseum.org/research_collections/zoology/divisions_amphibians.htm
>>
>>******************************************************
>>* Gregory J. Watkins-Colwell *
>>* Herpetology and Ichthyology *
>>* Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History *
>>* 170 Whitney Avenue, P. O. Box 208118 *
>>* New Haven, CT 06520-8118 *
>>* Phone: 203/432-3791 *
>>* FAX: 203/432-2874 *
>>* http://www.peabody.yale.edu *
>>******************************************************
>
>******************************************************
>* Gregory J. Watkins-Colwell *
>* Herpetology and Ichthyology *
>* Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History *
>* 170 Whitney Avenue, P. O. Box 208118 *
>* New Haven, CT 06520-8118 *
>* Phone: 203/432-3791 *
>* FAX: 203/432-2874 *
>* http://www.peabody.yale.edu *
>******************************************************
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