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UK Keeper purchasing stock from USA

Dwarfhunter

New Member
5 Year Member
Messages
4
Location
Stockport
Hello All,
Can any one please advise me if it is possible to purchase stock from the various traders on these forums for delivery to the U.K. What are the pitfalls and problems you have overcome, E.G. Customs, paperwork, D.F.R.A., which carriers are recommended, etc. I write as a private individual not as a shop keeper or trader as such.
Or are there established traders in the U.K. who will add items to their own orders for you.
Your advice, comments and observations appreciated.
Fish health and welfare are the top priority followed by legality.
Be lucky
David
 

Microman

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
387
Location
Shropshire,England.
Why...

Believe it or not David its generally the other way around... Suppliers in the UK and Europe shipping over the pond to USA.
Due to our close proximity to Germany,who along with Japan, are always first to get hold of new species, the serious Apisto hobbyist/breeders in the UK tend to be able to get hold of most species prior to our friends in America.
If you do fancy a few pairs of fish the extortionate shipping costs to the UK from USA or Asia and the costs of legal paperwork for customs etc dont make it feasable for smaller quantities of fish.
You can import tropical fish into the UK from European countries and there are no problems with customs paperwork etc but from countries outside the EU its a different kettle of fish as they say.
I have seen nothing on any American suppliers lists of late that are not, or have recently been, available here in the UK. Its just knowing where to look.
Others might think differently however...
Mark...
 

a.d.wood

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
264
Location
Staffordshire, UK
Care to share at all?
Be lucky
David

Hi David,

Can you elaborate on what species you are after. Myself and at least 1 other import direct from South America (through consol lists) occasionally, you don't always get what you order (as you can see from a couple of my recent ID threads on here) though.

Mark (Mircroman) has a couple of links with German and Dutch people now for sourcing European stock, and then it's a case of keeping an eye on what is coming into the shops in the UK, eg I picked up Ap. iniridae and Ap. sp. Breitbinden from a 'mixed' Colombia bag earlier this year up at Pier in Wigan.

Andrew
 

Dwarfhunter

New Member
5 Year Member
Messages
4
Location
Stockport
Nothing specific at this time. I'm just sorting out the funds to reconvert my cellar back into a fish room. I used to have a mate with a shop who went over to holland about every three months and brought back a good selection. I looked at the trade adverts on here and a couple of other similar sites and found they were all populated by americans so I guessed that was how things happen now. Having been away from the hobby for about 10 years, I wasn't sure.
Candida was always one of my breeding targets. Wouldn't mind having a go at some dwarf pikes, that would be a real challenge.
Thanks for your time and trouble
Be lucky
David
P.S. Andrew had a look at you site and bookmarked it for future use. Thanks again for your time.
 

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