Shipping guitars to USA for a show - CITES/ MIC??

[TOB]

Hi Guys,

I've a stand booked at Summer NAMM in Nashville in mid-July, however the guitars that we will be demonstrating have a small amount of Indian Rosewood in the build and would normally be subject to CITES as the wood is an endangered species.

Does anyone have any experience of what paperwork I need to prepare, the goods are not for sale in USA only for demonstration and would be re-exported back to the UK immediately after the show?

...or has anyone used a 'Musical Instrument Certificate' to take instruments in and out of USA via hold luggage, this seems like it may be the better option?

Any help/ advise would be gratefully received!!

Thanks in advance.

Toby

[acidbass]

I'd imagine NAMM would have to offer advice to their exhibitors re this particular area?

[Sibob]

Very limited knowledge here, but you’re not shipping them out as commercial concerns, you’re bringing them home again.

From memory, there were exceptions introduced for touring musicians who were obviously traveling internationally with such instruments, I imagine there are similar exceptions for this kind of activity.

Si

[Dan Dare]

4 hours ago, acidbass said:

I'd imagine NAMM would have to offer advice to their exhibitors re this particular area?

This. You can't be the only person taking instruments to NAMM that include CITES regulated materials.

[chris_b]

Reading and understanding the regulations is the only way you're going to guarantee that you don't fall foul of the rules. This is something you should know as I assume by exhibiting in the US you're expecting to sell basses over there.

IMO you'd better assume the worst until you know exactly what is allowed and what isn't. You're definitely asking the wrong people here. Also I would expect NAMM wouldn't advise anyone about customs and CITES rules. That's not their job.

[Gillett Guitars]

Here is a link to an amazingly useful document published by the Fish and Wildlife Service in the US.  Put together in a 'question and answer' format, it is easy to understand and addresses pretty much everything that individuals, companies and organisations need to know about moving rosewood and other CITES-listed materials between the UK/EU and the USA.  Having seen the picture from the American perspective, you can export with a high degree of confidence that your goods will clear customs at the other side.  It has also given me a far better general understanding of CITES than I have been able to derive from online research and repeated contact with APHA, who administer CITES in the UK.

FWS CITES Q&A

scrumpymike

[Gillett Guitars]

Meant to add that there's been some heavyweight lobbying by the global music industry to obtain an exemption from CITES for all musical instruments.  This has been very effective and chances are that it would have been in place now if the last CITES meeting (scheduled for May in Malaysia IIRC) hadn't been cancelled due to a terrorist incident!

[Sibob]

On 20/06/2019 at 00:15, chris_b said:

Reading and understanding the regulations is the only way you're going to guarantee that you don't fall foul of the rules. This is something you should know as I assume by exhibiting in the US you're expecting to sell basses over there.

IMO you'd better assume the worst until you know exactly what is allowed and what isn't. You're definitely asking the wrong people here. Also I would expect NAMM wouldn't advise anyone about customs and CITES rules. That's not their job.

NAMM isn’t a retail show, you’re not actually permitted to sell at it.

Si

[chris_b]

10 minutes ago, Sibob said:

NAMM isn’t a retail show, you’re not actually permitted to sell at it.

That is true.

I'm just countering the suggestion previously made that NAMM would advise on CITES rules.

Also I'm assuming the OP is exhibiting his wares so he can meet people who can help him set up future sales opportunities in the US.

[Gillett Guitars]

15 hours ago, Sibob said:

NAMM isn’t a retail show, you’re not actually permitted to sell at it.

Si

Correct, although it appears that lots of stuff gets sold covertly and the organisers allegedly turn a blind eye to it.

[Gillett Guitars]

Just for the sake of clarity, CITES governs the movement of listed endangered species across borders and so applies whether stuff is for sale or not.

[Dan Dare]

1 hour ago, Gillett Guitars said:

Just for the sake of clarity, CITES governs the movement of listed endangered species across borders and so applies whether stuff is for sale or not.

This. So it's likely that NAMM will either be able to provide some advice or at least point you in the right direction. Has to be worth asking.

[Gillett Guitars]

23 hours ago, Dan Dare said:

This. So it's likely that NAMM will either be able to provide some advice or at least point you in the right direction. Has to be worth asking.

I'm in contact with TOB and he has got all the info he needs from the FWS doc.  As it happens, a link to the same FWS doc is exactly the help that NAMM provide on their show website plus a NAMM management contact name for those who need more.