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Cut Flower Imports (FY 2015)

Release Date
Tue, 02/09/2016

CBP’s comprehensive approach to border management and control includes protecting agriculture and U.S. economic interests from harmful pests and diseases.

Each day, CBP prevents potentially harmful plant pests and foreign animal diseases from entering the U.S.  at more than 300 ports of entry.  This mission is highlighted as CBP agriculture specialists process cut flower imports for the Valentine’s season.

Click on each photo to view our Flickr photo albums!

CBP Agriculture Specialists inspect the flowers looking for plant pests.    Photo of pink, white and yellow roses

Click on each photo to view our videos that are presently available for download on DVIDS!

 Video: CBP Flower Inspection B-roll

During the 2015 Valentine’s season from Jan. 1 to Feb. 14, CBP processed approximately 976 million cut flower stems, compared to 801 million stems during the 2014 season, an increase of 21 percent. Here are the facts and figures about CBP flower inspections.

Top 10 Ports of Entry, by volume (number of stems), that processed shipments of cut flower imports for the 2015 Valentine season:
LocationQuantity in Stems
FL Miami Air Cargo CBP875,427,727
CA Los Angeles CBP37,328,284
CA Otay Mesa CBP25,167,096
NY JFK Air Cargo CBP15,081,333
TX Laredo CBP10,683,185
IL Chicago CBP4,837,361
MA Boston CBP2,630,418
PR Aguadilla CBP2,096,220
NJ Newark CBP1,836,635
HI Honolulu CBP1,749,492
Top 10 Ports of Entry, by volume (number of stems), that processed shipments of Chamaedorea, Ferns and Sala imports for the 2015 Valentine season:
LocationQuantity in Stems
TX Laredo CBP3,601,861
FL Miami Air Cargo CBP2,518,822
DE Wilmington CBP1,278,600
CA Otay Mesa CBP700,355
TX Hidalgo CBP284,809
FL Port Everglades CBP254,384
CA Los Angeles CBP82,594
PR San Juan Air CBP58,000
TX Progreso CBP41,988
TX Brownsville CBP20,211
Top 10 Cut Flower Imports, by volume (number of stems):
CommodityStems
Rosa357,675,390
Bouquet, Mixed152,930,345
Dianthus74,179,344
Bouquet, Rosa72,301,507
Chrysanthemum (pom-pon)68,879,204
Alstroemeria39,175,161
Dianthus (mini)35,690,159
Gypsophila21,085,582
Chrysanthemum20,290,740
Tulipa15,171,337
Top 10 Exporting Country of Origin, by volume (number of stems):
CountryStems
Colombia694,453,555
Ecuador188,597,055
Mexico38,049,730
Netherlands20,039,505
Costa Rica10,516,051
Thailand7,942,016
Kenya6,847,891
Guatemala6,835,964
Israel2,165,419
Peru1,867,709
Top 10 Ports of Entry, by number of plant pests intercepted from shipments of imported cut flowers:
LocationPests Intercepted
FL Miami Air CBP1467
CA Los Angeles CBP372
PR Aguadilla CBP307
CA Otay Mesa CBP267
NY JFK CBP150
TX El Paso CBP114
CA Calexico CBP69
CA San Ysidro CBP52
IL Chicago CBP38
TX Laredo CBP34

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Last Modified: Feb 03, 2021