PHOTO: The Amazon.com logo is seen in the Amazon Japan office building in Tokyo, Japan, August 8, 2016. REUTERS / Kim Kyung-Hoon
(Reuters) – Amazon.com Inc said it has banned the sale of seeds overseas in the United States after thousands of Americans received unwanted packages of seeds in their mailboxes, mostly postmarked from China.
In July, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) identified more than a dozen plant species, from morning glory to mustard, in bags of unsolicited seeds. He warned Americans not to sow seeds.
According to plant experts, seeds from other parts of the world may be non-native varieties that harm commercial crops.
“Going forward, we only allow US-based sellers to sell seeds,” Amazon said in an email on Saturday.
On Wednesday, the company changed its seed sales policy. The policy change was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
The company added that sellers who fail to comply with its policies will be exposed to actions, including the possible deletion of their accounts.
According to Amazon’s policy web page, the ban applies to plants and plant products.
In July, the USDA said the packages were most likely part of a “cleanup” scam in which people receive unwanted items from a seller who then posts false positive customer reviews to boost sales.
In an August 11 update, Osama El-Lissi, deputy administrator of the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), said experts analyzing some seeds from China found very few problems. El Lissi added that the two countries are working together to investigate.
