shipping snakeskins to the UK

[splinterinfinger]

Hi all, there's not many rattle snakes in the UK! I would like to cast my own skins, I have the equipment and materials to cast some but no skins, so I searched the globe from my chair in the UK and found a site just on snake skins, and they do ship internationally. But my big concern is how do I stand with customs over here in the UK. I will not be placing massive orders but they will be on a regular basis. This is the site I found to get the skins from I don't know where they are based, I take it there are in the US somewhere.

Hope someone can give me some info on importing skins into the UK and how I would stand legally.

Kind regards Mervyn

 

[holmqer]

Hi all, there's not many rattle snakes in the UK! I would like to cast my own skins, I have the equipment and materials to cast some but no skins, so I searched the globe from my chair in the UK and found a site just on snake skins, and they do ship internationally. But my big concern is how do I stand with customs over here in the UK. I will not be placing massive orders but they will be on a regular basis. This is the site I found to get the skins from I don't know where they are based, I take it there are in the US somewhere.

Hope someone can give me some info on importing skins into the UK and how I would stand legally.

Kind regards Mervyn

I doubt that there is any specific rules regarding snake skins, although there may be rules regarding importing animal products. I would think at a minimum you would have to pay whatever duty you would pay for online purchases of anything from outside the EU.

Typically special duties are only imposed on things like alcohol, tobacco and some agricultural products that would compete with local produce. The concern I would have is that it may be illegal to import animal skins of any kind without a license.

 

[Ligget]

I dont know of any problems bringing skins in to the UK other than the normal post Office handling fee and VAT, maybe import duty (as Eric says you may need a license). I have bought many already cast snakskins from the USA into the UK with no problems.

 

[holmqer]

I dont know of any problems bringing skins in to the UK other than the normal post Office handling fee and VAT, maybe import duty (as Eric says you may need a license). I have bought many already cast snakskins from the USA into the UK with no problems.

While I don't know the specifics for the UK, typically the Customs agent enforces regulations imposed by a broad spectrum of other govenrment agencies. For things regarding animal products, it is often the Department / Ministry of Agriculture that has their oar in the water. These regulations often differentiate between Manufactured Goods containing Animal Products (like a leather belt or leather shoes) and unprocessed Animal Products (walk off the plane with a bloody Zebra pelt slung over your shoulder).

I would think that the already cast snake skin blanks would be treated no differently than things like shoes. Typically the underlying rationalle is that any parasites, bugs and fungus that may have been on the animal skin would be destroyed by the manufacturing process, while the unprocessed animal skin may have some nasties on it that could cause broader agricultural problem if they got loose into the local ecosystem.

Whether a cured snake skin would be treated as a manufacured good or an unprocessed animal product is hard to guess.

The problem is that finding the proper guidance from government websites and civil servants is challanging.

 

[wood-of-1kind]

ok, my "cheap" side is surfacing again:biggrin: Have you considered "faux" paper snakeskin blanks to meet your casting requirements? The will certainly not be any issues with "import" requirements to the UK.

 

[Ligget]

Mervyn try it and see, we`ll come and see you at visiting times! LOL

I think you will need a license though!

 

[jeffj13]

Why not just call customs and ask?

jeff