This the Season! July and August are busy months for importers of artificial Christmas trees, and of those trees, approximately 85 percent come from China. If you’re thinking of getting into this lucrative business, we’re here to tell you what you need to know about importing Christmas trees into the United States.
Deck the Halls! Artificial Christmas trees are a huge holiday import to the United States, with an average value of $80 million in artificial Christmas trees imports coming to the U.S. each year.
The National Christmas Tree Association reports that from 2007 to 2013, U.S. consumers spent $1.19 billion on artificial trees, with consumer dollars on the trees rising from $9.5 million in 2011 to $14.7 million in 2013.
Many consumers purchase artificial trees because:
They are cheaper when you re-use over a period of years;
The trees can be more convenient (no watering);
The trees can be easier to put up and put away;
There is less cleanup.
Oh Christmas Tree….base. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) oversees the inspection of artificial Christmas tree import centers. In 2004, the USDA placed quarantine on artificial trees from China that were constructed with a center wooden pole. Why? The wooden pole may have obtained a harmful invasive beetle species so those trees weren’t allowed import entry into the U.S.
union-tree.com