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i have amassed quite a few international customers on eBay and every time i make an international sale i learn something. i sold a pair of shoes to a wonderful woman in Greece the other day, and when looking up her postage rate i happened to check out the items Greece forbade to be sent through the mail. well, two hours later i had read the restricted items list for every country that the USPS mails to. it was quite an adventure and i soon realized that there were some pretty crazy restrictions out there so i complied a list for your enjoymeny. not necessarily in alphabetical order and not necessarily comlete. i took the liberty to edit out things, like biological weapons material, that i thought was too boring

Albania
Extravagant clothes and other articles contrary to Albanians' taste

Great Britan & Northern Ireland
Horror comics and matrices
Seal skins except those from an accepted source

Algeria
Canned vegetables, fish, plums and nuts
Funeral urns
Household articles made of tin
Saccharine in tablets or packets

Spain
Playing cards

India
Consumer electronic items, (except hearing aids and life-saving equipment, apparatus, and appliances and parts thereof)

Angloa
Roulette and other apparatus for games

Argentina
Furs and skins of chinchillas and vicunas

Armenia
Food that spoils easily

Australia
Fruit cartons (used or new)
Goods bearing the name "Anzac

Bahamas
Skimmed milk in tins

Bangladesh
Quinine, colored pink
Mineral waters

Malaysia
Circulars or advertisements containing amulets, charms or talismans
Harpoons and spear guns used for undersea fishing

Botswana
Honey and preparations of honey including royal jelly, preserves sweetened with honey, and flypaper

Brazil
Primary educational books not written in Portuguese

Guyana
Bees and silkworms
Newsprint paper

Bulgaria
"Musical" cards (cards that play a sound recording when opened)

Canada
Oleomargarine and other butter substitutes, including altered or renovated butter
Plumage and skins of wild birds

France
Imitation pearls containing lead salts and any articles of jewelry made with pearls of this type
Feeding bottles
Measuring instruments marked in units not complying with French law

Cote de Ivoire
Articles bearing the Red Cross or Geneva Cross as a trademark

Cyprus
Leeches and silkworms

Czech Republic
Chain letter items

Denmark
Almanacs (except for single copies) that do not bear the University almanac stamp

Ecuador
All maps showing the territory of Ecuador with incorrect boundaries
Leather shoes in general; cloth and rubber shoes
So-called "Panama" and "Mocora" hats and the straw used for making them

Eritrea
Matches of white phosphorus

Taiwan
Coins over one hundred years old
Extracts, essences, and concentrates of tea

Republic of Georgia
Bees, leeches, silkworms, and parasites

Germany
Absinthe
Melatonin
Playing cards, except in complete decks properly wrapped.
Pulverized coca beans.

Guatemala
Gardenia plants and seeds.
Police whistles.
Powder of all kinds.
Telegraphic apparatus.

Jordan
Essences and oils for use in making adulterated or imitated beverages

Iceland
Toys made of lead

Iran
Fashion newspapers
Musical instruments
Sugar, brown sugar

Iraq
Binoculars

Israel
Blank invoices with headings
Organic fertilizers
Soil and sand

Italy
Albums of any kind (of photographs, postcards, postage stamps, etc.)
Artificial flowers and fruits and accessories for them
Bells and other musical instruments and parts thereof
Clocks and supplies for clocks
Coral mounted in any way
Ether and chloroform
Exposed photographic and cinematographic films
Footwear of any kind.
Nutmeg, vanilla; sea salt, rock salt; saffron
Parasites and predators of harmful insects
Perfumery goods of all kinds (except soap)
Ribbons for typewriters
Roasted or ground coffee and its substitutes; roasted chicory

Kazakhstan
Deer horns, hooves, and antlers

South Korea
Salt

Latvia
Hyacinth bulb, carnation and chrysanthemum seedling and cuttings, seeds of leguminous plants and seeds in quarantine

Lebanon
Artificial butters and adulterated or harmful products

Lesotho
Eau de cologne

Liechtenstein
Radar detectors

Madagascar
Boxes of preserved sardines weighing more than 1 kilogram

Malawi
Aphrodisiacs

Nepal
Cinnamon
Cloves

Panama
Fatty, liquid, or easily liquefiable substances
Sweetmeats and pastries

Paraguay
Batteries
Plastic toys
Stocking and socks except those made of jersey
Suitcases; leather bags

Tanzania
Japanese shaving brushes

Peru
Accessories and personal items
Artificial flowers and interior ornaments
Ceramic products and imitation jewelry
Clothing, accessories, and underwear
Electrical household appliances
Footwear, shoes, boots, and accessories
Furs and clothing made of fur
Gloves and hosiery
Textiles and carpets
Toys and dolls of all kinds
Waxes and creams for shoes
Wooden utensils

Russia
Color copiers

Sudan
Unginned cotton

Ukraine
Articles of cultural value (works of art, collectors' pieces, and antiques)

Vietnam
Invisible ink, codes, cyphers, symbols or other types of secret correspondence, and shorthand notes