[Nhcoll-l] [EXTERN] De Minimis imports to the United States

Tue May 26 15:55:24 EDT 2026

Thanks Carol!

It seems, that HS 9705.2900 get's more and more accepted and opens a route with less hurdles - has been a long way, but happy to hear that FedEx et al. handle it increasingly well and specifically check back for the code in combination with respective verbiage.

Wit best wishes
Dirk

Am 26.05.2026 um 20:35 schrieb Carol Spencer:
Just to chime in, we also have still been sending material to and from foreign institutions into or out of the US. I will just repeat what Ben and Dirk said, after submitting all your paperwork for your USFWS edecs, let the USFWS office know at least 48 hours ahead of time (per law)  that the material is coming- I do this myself via telephone, I don't have the foreign institutions do this;  and make sure to declare the material with the correct harmonized code (HS 9705.29.00) on the FedEx invoice AND on a letter, and include the museum invoice and any other relevant paperwork. We have only had one incident where the material was returned to a museum, but that was an issue with the harmonized code not being declared correctly.
We use FedEx because that's what UC Berkeley has an account with, and also because we don't have a non-designated port exemption for ER- Kentucky port, where DHL often comes in. But other institutions have a permanent exemption for that port.
Good luck
Carol

On Tue, May 26, 2026 at 11:04 AM Dirk Neumann <d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de<mailto:d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de>> wrote:
Thanks a lot, Ben, for your additional details - as comprehensive and useful as always, much appreciated!

Dirk

Am 26.05.2026 um 16:21 schrieb Benjamin Hess:
Eirik and nhcoll,

To add to Dirk's comment, YES, proceed as normal. We have had numerous imports with no implications (or added costs) evident under the De Minimis rule using all the shipping vendors. I would like to add a few recommendations based upon experience with archaeological, herbarium, and zoological material.

  1.  DHL, FedEx, and UPS are all fine. If using DHL as Dirk suggested, there are some challenges to where the port of entry will be with regard to the USFWS Port of Clearance. Send an early notification email if using DHL to the Erlanger, KY USFWS (fwsole_ercvg at fws.gov<mailto:fwsole_ercvg at fws.gov> | fws.cvg at dhl.com<mailto:fws.cvg at dhl.com>) and include usfwsall at dhl.com<mailto:usfwsall at dhl.com> as well. The DHL email (usfwsall) includes the following ports of entry: ATL – AT, CVG – ER (non-designated) and LO, JFK – NY, LAX – LA, MIA – MI, and ORD – CH.
     *   Page 3 of this DHL Express document gives the likelihood of the USA port of entry based upon the global sending location.
     *   https://dhlpro.com/media/37004/dhl-express-usa-overview_en.pdf
  2.  FedEx has a USFWS designated port of entry in Memphis, TN (fwsole_memphis at fws.gov<mailto:fwsole_memphis at fws.gov>), and UPS has a USFWS designated port of entry in Louisville, KY (fwsole_louisville at fws.gov<mailto:fwsole_louisville at fws.gov>). Contact them in advance.
  3.  Similar to the European Union details sent by Dirk on 04 Jul 2026 to the nhcoll listserv, I recommend following the guidance similar to the EU regulations.
     *   28 June 2025, the new EU regulation (EU) 2019/880 on the introduction and import of cultural goods entered fully into force.
     *   State the value of the material is $1.00 (one-dollar value).
     *   USE A HARMONIZED TARIFF CODE IN A COVER LETTER
        *    I declare that the goods contained in this shipment are in the following harmonized tariff code schedule: HS 9705.29.00: collections & collectors' pieces of zoological, botanical, mineralogical, anatomical, historical, archaeological, palaeontological, ethnographic or numismatic interest.
     *   DEFINE YOUR MATERIAL BASED ON THE TARIFF CODE
        *   BOTANICAL OR HERBARIUM MATERIAL: This shipment contains dead, dried, accessioned botanical museum specimens. All materials enclosed are for scientific research purposes only and are exclusively exchanged between scientific institutions. The specimens were collected and are maintained for scientific research, have no commercial value, and are not for resale. The included species are NOT CITES or ESA listed, or protected locally in the country of origin. Furthermore, the contents of this shipment are NOT antiquities, works of art, or regulated cultural goods.
        *   ZOOLOGICAL MATERIAL: This shipment contains (COUNT) fluid preserved AND/OR (COUNT) dry accessioned zoological museum specimens that are for scientific research purposes only and are exclusively exchanged between scientific institutions. The specimens were collected and are maintained for scientific research, have no commercial value, and are not for resale. The included species are NOT CITES or ESA listed or protected locally in the country of origin. Furthermore, the contents of this shipment are NOT antiquities, works of art, or regulated cultural goods.
  4.  Work with your US-based collaborating institution to communicate with US agencies and customs in advance.
     *   As Dirk suggested, the receiving (US-based) institution should communicate with USFWS and any other necessary regulatory agency, as well as US customs.
     *   THE US-INSTITUTION SHOULD SEND AN EARLY NOTIFICATION EMAIL TO THE US CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION (CBP).
        *   The incoming material and associated documentation will be reviewed by the CBP.
        *   They can help guide if there are other specific agencies that may require a check for your material.
        *   To facilitate the customs checks and help if the shipment arrives at a different port of entry, I recommend sending an email to the CBP General email (aptlabtc at cbp.dhs.gov<mailto:aptlabtc at cbp.dhs.gov?subject=Biological%20Materials>). This email includes the US CBP Agricultural and Biological Coordinators will help connect you to a CBP Biological Specialist Agent at a specific port of entry or across ports.
        *   If any material is time-sensitive or temperature sensitive, this step is critical to ensure there are no delays.
        *   There can be challenges with getting clear answers from a shipping vendor (e.g., DHL, FedEx, UPS, etc.), but a CBP Agent will normally provide the US-Institution with better answers and guidance.

Sincerely,

Ben

On Tue, May 26, 2026 at 3:46 AM Dirk Neumann <d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de<mailto:d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de>> wrote:
Hi Eirik,

perfer FedEx over DHL Express; at the air hub of DHL Express in Erlanger/Kentucky USFWS clearance caused repeated issues, FedEx/Memphis is well better organised.

Regarding de minimis, proceed as usual: The declared value should be 1 USD to avoid potential charges of value added taxes upon import. Make sure to contact your receiving institution in advance, as import/USFWS clearance must be done by the recipient/receiving institution.

Hope this helps
With best wishes
Dirk

Am 25.05.2026 um 10:03 schrieb Eirik Rindal:
Hi,

Does anybody know if this has been resolved? Is it safe to send museum material to the US again with the main services like DHL, FedEx etc.

Sincerely,
Eirik Rindal, PhD
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1568-6386

Natural History Museum
P.O. Box 1172
Blindern
0318 Oslo
Norway

Tlf: + 47 402 24 872

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Leibniz Institute for the Analysis
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Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversitätswandels
Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany

Stiftung des öffentlichen Rechts;
Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Grüter (Kaufm. Geschäftsführer)
Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn
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_______________________________________________
NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of
Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose
mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of
natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to
society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information.
Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate.

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Benjamin M. Hess | EEB Museums Registrar | EEB Museums Safety Representative to the RMC

University of Michigan | LSA Ecology & Evolutionary Biology | Research Museums Center

3600 Varsity Drive, Ann Arbor MI 48108-2228

bmhess at umich.edu<mailto:bmhess at umich.edu> | 734-764-2432

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****

Dirk Neumann
Collection Manager, Hamburg

Postal address:
Museum of Nature Hamburg
Leibniz Institute for the Analysis
of Biodiversity Change
Dirk Neumann
Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3
20146 Hamburg
+49 40 238 317 – 628
d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de<mailto:d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de>
www.leibniz-lib.de

--
Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversitätswandels
Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany

Stiftung des öffentlichen Rechts;
Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Grüter (Kaufm. Geschäftsführer)
Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn
Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael Wappelhorst

--
Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversitätswandels
Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany

Stiftung des öffentlichen Rechts;
Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Grüter (Kaufm. Geschäftsführer)
Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn
Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael H. Wappelhorst
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_______________________________________________
NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of
Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose
mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of
natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to
society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information.
Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate.

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Carol L. Spencer, Ph.D.
Staff Curator of Herpetology
Museum of Vertebrate Zoology,<https://mvz.berkeley.edu/mvzherp/> UC Berkeley
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For Loans or Specimen verification/photo requests, please fill out this form<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScFupMlFEVmZqkL0ZYzQdUof-QdxDlupDTnWewVykFQWsk05g/viewform?usp=sf_link>
For sending packages/specimens via FedEx, UPS, etc. use this:
Carol Spencer
163 Weill Hall
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720

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Dirk Neumann
Collection Manager, Hamburg

Postal address:
Museum of Nature Hamburg
Leibniz Institute for the Analysis
of Biodiversity Change
Dirk Neumann
Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3
20146 Hamburg
+49 40 238 317 – 628
d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de<mailto:d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de>
www.leibniz-lib.de<imap://dneumann@webmail.leibniz-lib.de:993/fetch%3EUID%3E/INBOX/Privat/www.leibniz-lib.de>

--
Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversitätswandels
Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany

Stiftung des öffentlichen Rechts;
Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Grüter (Kaufm. Geschäftsführer)
Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn
Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael Wappelhorst

--
Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversitätswandels
Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany

Stiftung des öffentlichen Rechts;
Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Grüter (Kaufm. Geschäftsführer)
Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn
Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael H. Wappelhorst
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