Stuttgart, Germany, 24 October 2026 – Seed is light, compact and easy to post, which makes it look like an ideal product for international trade. For seed retailers, the reality is more complex. Whether a variety may enter a country, and with which documents, depends on the destination's plant health rules, the species and often the country the seed comes from. BulkSeedsInternational, a seed wholesaler based in Stuttgart, Germany, has published guidance for retailers and resellers who source seed from abroad.

The destination sets the rules

Import conditions differ widely. For Australia, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry explains that conditions depend on the species and its country of origin; its BICON database shows, for each botanical name, whether import is permitted and which documents, permits or treatments apply. For Great Britain, official GOV.UK guidance states that requirements depend on the goods and their risk category, with separate instructions for Northern Ireland. In the United States, the national plant protection organisation is USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). BulkSeedsInternational's advice is the same everywhere: check the official source for your country before arranging a shipment, and do not assume that all seeds share the same documentation requirements.

What a precise enquiry includes

To prepare a realistic quotation, a supplier needs:

- The botanical name and the exact variety, including qualifiers such as F1. Common names vary between countries; botanical names do not.
- Quantity and unit. Seed may be priced by weight or per stated number of seeds – two units that cannot be compared directly.
- Destination country and postal code, which determine shipping options and costs.
- The documents the buyer requires, and, where relevant, the applicable import case or permit reference.
- A requested delivery date, understood as a request rather than a commitment.

Responsibilities before the shipment

Before any order is agreed, both sides should clarify who handles documents, customs clearance, duties and taxes. BulkSeedsInternational states explicitly that a catalogue listing is not confirmation that a variety can be supplied to every destination; eligibility is reviewed for each enquiry.

How the process works

The company's online catalogue lists 3,509 entries – vegetable, herb, flower and microgreen seeds – organised by seed group, species and variety. Retailers add items to an enquiry basket and submit it with their business details and destination. No account is required and no payment is taken on the website; the enquiry is non-binding. BulkSeedsInternational then checks availability, prices, shipping and documentation before issuing a quotation. Varieties not listed can be requested by email with botanical name, quantity and destination.

"The most expensive seed shipment is the one that gets stopped at the border. That's why we ask for the destination and the required documents first, and talk about prices second," says Steffen Bauer, owner of BulkSeedsInternational.

The catalogue and seed trade notes are available at https://bulkseedsinternational.com/en/.

About BulkSeedsInternational

BulkSeedsInternational is a seed wholesale business operated by Steffen Bauer in Stuttgart, Germany. It supplies seed retailers, garden shops and resellers with vegetable, herb, flower and microgreen seeds from a catalogue of 3,509 entries, available in English, French, Italian and Spanish.

Press contact

Steffen Bauer · BulkSeedsInternational · Krehlstr. 100 · 70565 Stuttgart · Germany
Email: [email protected] · Phone: +49 162 6784314