Amazon Bans Sale of Foreign Seeds in the U.S.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said the unsolicited packages appeared to be a part of a “brushing scam,” in which an online seller ships an inexpensive product to an unwitting receiver and then submits positive reviews on the recipient’s behalf with a goal of boosting the seller’s ratings and visibility online. The agency said there was no reason to suspect agroterrorism, in which biological agents are used to harm the nation’s food supply.

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Amazon Bans Foreign Plant Sales to U.S. Amid Global Seed Mystery

U.S. agriculture officials have said they are working with officials in China to determine who is sending the seed packages and to stop future shipments. China’s Foreign Ministry said in July that mailing labels on the seed packages were forged and that China had asked the U.S. to send packages for investigation.

It’s just the beginning.