Can You Ship Taobao Seeds to Taiwan? Quarantine Rules for Seeds and Succulents Entering Taiwan
Quick answer: Can seeds and succulents bought on Taobao be shipped to Taiwan?
Generally no, or in practice it's very hard to import legally. Seeds (tariff heading 1209) aren't classified MW0, but they are quarantine items under the Plant Protection and Quarantine Act: when imported via consolidation they count as courier cargo, and the importer must apply for quarantine on arrival and present a phytosanitary certificate issued by a mainland Chinese plant quarantine authority; the plant species must also be on APHIA's “list of plants approved for import.” Most Taobao sellers don't provide an official phytosanitary certificate, and failing to apply for quarantine can result in a fine of NT$30,000 to NT$150,000. Live plants such as succulents, cacti, and seedlings mostly have tariff codes marked MW0 (mainland goods not allowed for import), so they can't be imported even with a phytosanitary certificate. Plants with soil attached are prohibited items, and violations can carry up to 3 years' imprisonment. As for postal mail, since June 20, 2019 (ROC year 108-06-20), quarantine items are in principle not allowed to be imported by mail and will be returned or destroyed. No rule allowing “small quantities for personal use exempt from quarantine” was found in official sources. HowBridge does not offer plant quarantine clearance services; please do not send seeds or succulents to the Shenzhen warehouse.
HowBridge only operates a Shenzhen consolidation warehouse and a Taoyuan operations warehouse, and only offers China → Taiwan consolidation service; we do not offer purchasing-agent or plant quarantine clearance services. Seeds, succulents, and seedlings are plant quarantine items, and ordinary online-shopping parcels cannot obtain an official quarantine document, so please do not send them to the Shenzhen warehouse. This page explains the regulations to help you decide before you order.
Do Seeds, Succulents, Bulbs, and Seedlings from Mainland China Follow the Same Import Rules?
No, they don't. Start by checking the import-regulation code in the tariff schedule: MW0 means mainland goods are not allowed for import (trade restriction), B01 means APHIA plant quarantine applies, and 402 means a seed/seedling business registration certificate must be attached. Both hurdles have to be cleared:
| Item | Tariff Code Range | Import Regulation | Can It Be Imported from Mainland China? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seeds (vegetable, flower, fruit tree, forage, etc.) | 1209 (20 tariff codes) | 402 B01 (none carry MW0) | Not prohibited on the trade side; requires a phytosanitary certificate and must be on the approved-import list; imports of more than 100 g also require a seed/seedling business registration certificate |
| Bulbs, corms, tubers | 0601 | B01; some also carry MW0 (e.g. lily, calla lily, gladiolus) | Those with MW0 are not allowed for import; others follow quarantine rules |
| Succulents, cacti, foliage plants, orchid seedlings, and other live plants | 0602 | Mostly B01 MW0 (e.g. other live plant seedlings, other live plants) | Not allowed for import (MW0) — even with a phytosanitary certificate |
| Soil, and plants with soil attached | — | Plant Protection and Quarantine Act, Article 15 | Prohibited from import; violations carry criminal liability |
| Seeds with no germination viability, or with seed coat removed or broken | — | Announced as exempt from the phytosanitary certificate requirement | No certificate required (seeds capable of germinating are not included) |
International Trade Administration code 402: “A copy of the seed/seedling business registration certificate must be attached, except that import quantities of １００ grams or less are exempt from this requirement.” The 100 g threshold only exempts the registration-certificate requirement — a phytosanitary certificate is still required.
What's the Difference Between Sending Seeds by Consolidation, by Mail, and Carrying Them Back Yourself?
Article 17 of the Plant Protection and Quarantine Act sets separate rules for the three channels, each with different penalties:
| Channel | Rule | Consequence of Non-Compliance |
|---|---|---|
| Consolidation / courier (cargo) | On arrival at the port or station, the importer or their agent must apply for quarantine and present a phytosanitary certificate from the exporting country (Articles 16 and 17(1)) | If the importer or agent fails to apply for quarantine: fine of NT$30,000–150,000 (Article 24); non-compliant items are corrected, treated, returned, or destroyed |
| Postal mail (international parcels) | In principle, import by mail is not allowed; exceptions are items announced as exempt from certification, or cases where the recipient has already obtained a postal import permit (Article 17(3), effective from June 20, 2019 (ROC year 108-06-20)) | Returned or destroyed; if the recipient receives a parcel without a valid quarantine document and fails to apply for quarantine, a fine of NT$30,000–150,000 applies |
| Traveler-carried | Apply for quarantine on arrival, present the original phytosanitary certificate, and go through the red channel (goods to declare) (Article 17(2)) | Fine of NT$3,000–15,000 (Article 25-1) |
You may still see claims online that seeds of 1 kg or less can be mailed in — that was the rule before June 20, 2019 (ROC year 108). Under the current rules, quarantine items are, in principle, not allowed to be imported by mail.
How Do You Bring Seeds Back to Taiwan Yourself When Traveling?
Traveler-carried seeds are subject to a quantity limit, and you still need the original phytosanitary certificate from the exporting country. Here's the process required by APHIA:
1Check the approved list before you leave
Check APHIA's “List of Plants Approved for Import and Quarantine Conditions Search System” to confirm the plant and country are approved for import; if there's no import record, you must first apply for a risk assessment.
2Obtain a phytosanitary certificate locally
This must be issued by the plant quarantine authority of the exporting country. Some species carry additional conditions — for example, tomato and Capsicum (pepper) seeds imported from mainland China must be certified as having tested negative for Tomato brown rugose fruit virus in a laboratory before export.
3Watch the quantity limits
Seeds: 1 kg or less; bulbs: 3 kg or less; plants and plant products combined: 6 kg or less. Fresh fruit, soil, and plants with soil attached may not be brought in at all. Seedlings such as roses, cherry trees, and citrus also require an approved quarantine isolation facility arranged in advance.
4Declare for quarantine at the red channel on arrival
Fill out the customs declaration form and declare at the red channel (goods to declare) or the quarantine counter; you may only bring the items in once they pass quarantine. If you don't have a certificate, you can dispose of the items in the agricultural and livestock product disposal bins in the arrivals corridor.
What Happens If You Don't Apply for Quarantine? When Does Criminal Liability Apply?
Criminal liability and fines are two different things, with different targets and different requirements:
| Violation | Article | Penalty |
|---|---|---|
| Importing prohibited quarantine items, or soil, soil-attached plants, or pests without authorization | Article 22 | Criminal liability: up to 3 years' imprisonment, detention, and/or a fine of up to NT$150,000 |
| Importer or agent fails to apply for quarantine; parcel recipient fails to apply for quarantine | Article 24(1)(6) | Fine of NT$30,000–150,000 |
| Traveler fails to apply for quarantine | Article 25-1 | Fine of NT$3,000–15,000 |
“Minor violations” only reduce the fine — they don't exempt you from quarantine
The “Standards for Determining Minor Violations and Reducing Penalties for Illegal Import of Plant Quarantine Items” can reduce fines based on weight, but this does not apply when the imported item is a live plant or live plant seedling, or a prohibited item. If succulents or seedlings are caught, you can't claim a reduced fine just because the quantity was small.
Past enforcement figures
According to APHIA's press release dated 107-03-26 (2018-03-26): in ROC year 106 (2017), penalties were issued for 159 cases of plants and plant products illegally imported by courier, of which 94 cases — the largest share — involved live plants, and 6 cases involved criminal liability because the items were prohibited from import or had soil attached; in the same year, all 1,658 cases of illegal import via international express mail were destroyed or returned. A press release dated 105-06-08 (2016-06-08) also noted that a member of the public who bought soil-attached succulents on a mainland Chinese shopping website was caught and referred for prosecution.
Do Succulents, Cacti, and Orchids Also Need a CITES Permit?
Some do. The import of endangered plants is administered by the International Trade Administration, Ministry of Economic Affairs (Foreign Trade Act, Article 13-1) — not the Wildlife Conservation Act, which only covers animals. Per the species appendices published by the International Trade Administration:
| Plant | CITES Appendix | Key Points |
|---|---|---|
| Cactaceae (cactus family) | Almost the entire family is listed in Appendix II (except Pereskia and 2 other genera); Ariocarpus, Astrophytum asterias, and others are listed in Appendix I | Seeds are mostly exempt under Annotation #4, but cactus seeds exported from Mexico are an exception |
| Orchidaceae (orchid family) | The entire family is listed in Appendix II (except species listed in Appendix I) | Import requires a CITES permit from the exporting country |
| Succulent Euphorbia species, Aloe genus | Listed in Appendix II (Aloe vera is not regulated) | Same as above |
| Common succulents such as Graptopetalum in the Crassulaceae family | Not listed in the appendices (except a few, such as the genus Rhodiola) | Still subject to plant quarantine; most mainland-produced items are MW0 |
Importing without the export country's permit document can, under Article 28 of the Foreign Trade Act, result in a warning, a fine of NT$60,000–3,000,000, or suspension of import/export privileges; the International Trade Administration's usual practice is a warning for a first offense, a NT$60,000 fine for a second offense, and NT$90,000 for repeated offenses. CITES and plant quarantine are two separate sets of rules, and both must be satisfied.
Why Does Even a Small Packet of Seeds Need Quarantine?
Seeds can carry pathogens and pests, and online shopping makes it even easier for plants to cross borders:
Seeds can transmit disease
An academic review notes that seed-borne pathogens are one of the major quarantine challenges in international seed trade (Munkvold et al., 2025); Taiwanese researchers have also compiled the viral diseases that can be transmitted by cucurbit (melon-family) seeds (Deng Tingqin et al., 2005). Taiwan's requirement that tomato and Capsicum seeds from mainland China be certified free of Tomato brown rugose fruit virus is a concrete response to exactly this kind of risk.
Online shopping spreads them farther
Research has found that online auction platforms continue to sell known invasive plants (Humair et al., 2015), and that online shopping lets non-native plants travel farther as seeds (Lenda et al., 2014). In 2023, the IPPC Secretariat published guidance on managing pest risk for goods ordered online and distributed through postal and courier pathways.
Terms Used on This Page
- Plant quarantine item
- Plants, plant products, and other items announced under Article 13-1 of the Plant Protection and Quarantine Act as subject to import quarantine; this includes seeds, bulbs, and live plants.
- Phytosanitary certificate
- An official document (Phytosanitary Certificate) issued by the plant quarantine authority of the exporting country, certifying that the goods meet the importing country's quarantine requirements.
- List of plants approved for import
- A list of importable plants and their quarantine conditions published by APHIA; if a reproductively viable quarantine item has no prior import record from a given country, a risk assessment must be applied for first.
- B01
- Tariff import-regulation code: on import, the item is handled according to APHIA's list of items subject to quarantine and the applicable quarantine rules.
- 402
- Tariff import-regulation code: a copy of the seed/seedling business registration certificate must be attached, except that import quantities of 100 g or less are exempt from this requirement.
- MW0
- Tariff import-regulation code: mainland goods are not allowed for import.
- CITES
- Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora; in Taiwan, plant import permits are administered by the International Trade Administration, Ministry of Economic Affairs, under Article 13-1 of the Foreign Trade Act.
Sources and Limits of Verification
The legal articles, code definitions, quantity limits, and penalties on this page are based on the original pages actually accessed and the internal tariff database queried on September 25, 2026; each source below is listed with its link, verification date, and key original wording.
Laws, Government Notices, and Press Releases
- Plant Protection and Quarantine Act, Articles 14–17, 22, 24, 25-1 (amended 107-06-20; verified 2026-09-25): “When an importer or their agent imports a quarantine item, they must present a quarantine certificate issued by the plant quarantine authority of the exporting country”; “Quarantine items may not be imported by mail; if imported by mail, they shall be returned or destroyed.”
- International Trade Administration: Import Regulation Codes for Goods (verified 2026-09-25): “402: A copy of the seed/seedling business registration certificate must be attached, except that import quantities of １００ grams or less are exempt from this requirement.” “MW0: Mainland goods are not allowed for import.”
- Regulations Governing Permission for Trade between the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, Article 7 (amended 113-02-19; verified 2026-09-25): “Except as provided in the following subparagraphs, goods from the Mainland Area may not be imported into the Taiwan Area.”
- Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency (APHIA): General Rules and Process for Importing Plant Quarantine Items (verified 2026-09-25): importers of reproductively viable quarantine items (such as seeds, seedlings, and bulbs) should check the “List of Plants Approved for Import and Quarantine Conditions Search System.”
- APHIA: Items Exempt from Presenting an Exporting-Country Phytosanitary Certificate for Imported Plant Quarantine Items (amended 110-07-28; verified 2026-09-25): “seeds capable of germination” must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate; “seeds with no germination viability, or with seed coat removed or broken” are exempt.
- APHIA: Rules and Explanation for Importing Plant Quarantine Items by Mail (new rule effective from June 20, 2019 (ROC year 108-06-20)) (verified 2026-09-25): “In principle, plant quarantine items may not be imported by mail; if imported, they shall be returned or destroyed.”
- Operating Procedures for Quarantine of Plant Quarantine Items Imported and Exported by Mail (effective June 20, 2019 (ROC year 108-06-20); verified 2026-09-25): the recipient must “apply to the local plant quarantine authority for import approval”; the permit is valid “within one year from the date of issuance.”
- Republic of China Quarantine Requirements for Imported Plants and Plant Products (version effective 115-04-01; verified 2026-09-25): Capsicum and tomato propagation seeds imported from mainland China must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate “proving they tested negative for Tomato brown rugose fruit virus in a laboratory before export, otherwise they shall be destroyed or returned.”
- Operating Procedures for Quarantine of Animal and Plant Quarantine Items Carried by Travelers and Crew of Vehicles, Vessels, and Aircraft (amended 110-04-07; verified 2026-09-25): a quarantine application must include “the original phytosanitary certificate”; Note 2 of the attached schedule states “seeds carried on entry are limited to 1 kg or less, and bulbs are limited to 3 kg or less.”
- APHIA: Reference Table of Common Quarantine Rules for Animals, Plants, and Their Products Carried by Arriving Travelers (verified 2026-09-25): “must accurately fill out the customs declaration form and declare at the customs red channel (goods to declare)”; those who fail to declare for quarantine as required “shall be fined not less than NT$3,000 and not more than NT$15,000.”
- APHIA: Arriving Travelers Zone (verified 2026-09-25): travelers may not carry “fresh fruit … soil, plants with soil attached, plant products, or other items.”
- Standards for Determining Minor Violations and Reducing Penalties for Illegal Import of Plant Quarantine Items, Article 2 (112-09-25; verified 2026-09-25): reduced penalties do not apply when the imported item is “a live insect, live plant, or live plant seedling.”
- Plant Variety and Plant Seed Act, Articles 3 and 44 (amended 112-05-17; verified 2026-09-25): “A person operating a seed/seedling business may not conduct business without approval from, and the issuance of a seed/seedling business registration certificate by, the competent municipal or county (city) authority.”
- Foreign Trade Act, Articles 13-1 and 28 (amended 108-12-25; verified 2026-09-25): endangered fauna and flora and their products “may not be imported without obtaining a permit document from the exporting country.”
- Regulations Governing Import and Export of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and Their Products, Articles 2 and 4 (amended 112-11-14; verified 2026-09-25): the competent function is carried out by the International Trade Administration, Ministry of Economic Affairs; imports must be accompanied by “a … CITES (Washington Convention) … permit issued by the exporting country.”
- International Trade Administration: Species Appendices for Endangered Fauna and Flora (verified 2026-09-25): all species of Cactaceae are listed in Appendix II (except Pereskia and 2 other genera, and species listed in Appendix I); all species of Orchidaceae are listed in Appendix II; Annotation #4 exempts “seeds,” but this does not apply to “seeds of the genus Cactus exported from Mexico.”
- APHIA press release: Penalties for Unauthorized Import or Carrying of Plants, or Failure to Apply for Quarantine (107-03-26 (2018-03-26); verified 2026-09-25): “In ROC year 106 (2017), a total of 159 penalty cases were issued for illegal courier import of plants and plant products, of which live plants accounted for the largest share at 94 cases”; illegal imports via international express mail totaled “1,658 cases, all handled by destruction or return.”
- APHIA press release: Buying Animals, Plants, or Their Products Online Must Comply with Relevant Regulations (105-06-08 (2016-06-08); verified 2026-09-25): a member of the public who purchased “live plants with soil attached, such as succulents and water-lily bulbs, on a mainland Chinese shopping website was caught by customs and referred to the judicial authorities for investigation.”
Academic and Research Literature
E-commerce trade in invasive plants
Online auction platforms worldwide continue to sell known invasive plants, showing that e-commerce is one of the pathways for plants to spread across borders.
Effect of the Internet Commerce on Dispersal Modes of Invasive Alien Species
Online shopping lets non-native plants, including in the form of seeds, be shipped much farther.
E-commerce: A guide to managing the pest risk posed by goods ordered online and distributed through postal and courier pathways
The IPPC Secretariat provides guidance for managing the pest risk of goods ordered online and distributed through postal and courier pathways.
Seed Pathology: Challenges and Advances in Ensuring a Safe Global Seed Supply
Reviews the transmission risk of seed-borne pathogens and the quarantine challenges facing international seed trade.
Characteristics of Seed-Transmitted Viral Diseases in Cucurbits
Taiwanese researchers compiled the viral diseases transmissible by cucurbit (melon-family) seeds, illustrating why seed quarantine is necessary.
Prevalence and perspectives of illegal trade in cacti and succulent plants in the collector community
Surveys illegal trade within cactus and succulent collector communities.
① No rule allowing quarantine exemption for small quantities, personal use, or low value was found in official sources; ② the statement that “most Taobao sellers don't provide an official phytosanitary certificate” is an inference based on the legal requirements — the authorities do not state this verbatim; ③ whether a given plant can be imported should be confirmed against APHIA's live approved-import list; this page does not list every plant; ④ this page has not individually verified every restriction or prohibition notice issued under Article 51 of the Plant Variety and Plant Seed Act; ⑤ the APHIA press releases about online shopping that could be found only cover ROC years 104–107 (2015–2018); the figures represent those years only; ⑥ the CITES Secretariat website could not be opened, so the appendices are based on International Trade Administration notices; ⑦ tariff codes are determined by Customs based on the actual goods; ⑧ this page does not constitute legal advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can seeds bought on Taobao be shipped to Taiwan by consolidation?
Can succulents from Taobao be shipped to Taiwan?
Can seeds be mailed to Taiwan?
Can I bring seeds back to Taiwan from abroad?
Do vegetable seeds need quarantine even in small quantities for personal use?
Do cactus seeds need a CITES permit?
Can HowBridge help ship seeds or handle quarantine clearance?
Related Reading
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