Don’t Bring These Common Produce From Canada to Montana

When you live in Montana, it's easy to think of Canada as “the Montana to the north.” Yes, you have to cross a border and yes, the mileage turns to kilometers, but a lot of Montana’s geography is similar to Canada’s (or at least, western Canada’s). The gorgeous mountains, lakes, rivers, wildlife—you get the idea.  

And because it's our neighbor to the north, it doesn't often seem like a foreign country. Oftentimes with foreign countries, there are items that you can’t bring back and forth across the border. For example, if you’re traveling to Canada, the Canadian government says you can’t bring: “cannabis, food, plants, animals and related products that pose a risk to Canada, endangered species and anything made from the parts or endangered species (these can be found in some souvenirs).”  

READ MORE: Montana's Cherry and Huckleberry Crops at Risk of Failing

But there are also things from Canada that you can’t bring into Montana or the rest of the United States, for that matter. While you’re not supposed to bring food to Canada, there is a common vegetable and a common fruit (sometimes thought of as a vegetable) that you can’t bring to Montana from Canada. Here’s what an article on Cheapism says:  

Believe it or not, bell peppers and fresh tomatoes from Canda are restricted (or fully banned) from entering the U.S. This is because these vegetables can carry pests such as the ‘Tomato brown rugose fruit virus,’ which can pose significant threats to U.S. agriculture. -Cheapism.com

There’s actually a full list of fruit that are forbidden in the U.S. but we thought we’d point out the ones specifically associated with Canada because a fair number of Montanans visit the country.

The good news is that tomatoes and bell peppers grow well in Montana, so you probably wouldn’t need to bring any across the border anyway, but if you try, be prepared for inspections and permits.