The New York Times recently reported on a 2016 article in which antique dealers were accused of illegal ivory sales worth $4.5 million. What does the ban on ancient ivory mean for traders? It is not illegal to already possess ivory. Personal property is acceptable because a family inheritance can be passed on within the family. This is true even if you have a vintage musical instrument that contains pieces of ivory or components. If you are allowed to sell ivory in your state or if you qualify for exemption for interstate sales, you do not need a permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to sell it. That means no antiques, no bracelets you bought at a market in Africa, no carved chopsticks. There are exceptions for removals, museum or science specimens, instruments in an orchestra, and some other non-commercial imports, but the rule of thumb is that if you plan to wear, sell, or show it to your neighbors, it won`t cross the border. If your state allows the sale of ivory, you must now ensure that you comply with federal law and that you are prepared to provide the required documents to justify its sale in your state if asked. The bill also plans to expand it to other ivory-containing species such as rhinos, hippos, walruses and narwhals. On July 6, 2016, a near-total ban on trade in African and Asian elephant ivory came into effect in the United States. But there are some exceptions. A year after proposing a near-total ban on the sale of products containing African elephant ivory, the Obama administration issued the rule Thursday, ending a trade as old as the United States.
For travelers, if you`re trying to bring a piece of ivory into the country from abroad, think twice. A survey of collectors by an organization called the International Development Group found that up to 30,000 people with ivory-decorated canes, pianos, Japanese watercolor painted panels and furniture will be affected. “The result is that the trade in ancient ivory in this country is virtually at a standstill,” said Anton Brühl, a collector and researcher who conducted the survey last year. “I can`t sell it in this country. I do not even know if I can donate it to this institution. Almost all older high-quality ivory items are made from African ivory. Many items imported from India also came from Africa, but ended up in the United States as Asian ivory. How can an executor tell the difference between the two? *U.S.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) designated 13 ports for the importation of antiquities from ESA-listed species on September 22, 1982 (19 C.F.R. 12.26). The following ports are authorized: Boston, Massachusetts; New York, New York; Baltimore, Maryland, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Miami, Florida; San Juan, Puerto Rico; New Orleans, Louisiana; Houston, Texas; Los Angeles, California; San Francisco, California; Anchorage, Alaska, Honolulu, Hawaii; and Chicago, Illinois. In summary, the new rule prohibits the sale of ivory unless it is scientific research, part of an antique more than 100 years old, or a musical instrument made before 1975. Of course, many still try to sell ivory items without using the words in the title, but soon enough, the list is flagged and quickly deleted. A few violations on Ebay and your account will be suspended forever. Is it worth it? Ivory dealers and collectors have said centuries-old artifacts worth an estimated $11.9 billion will no longer be worth when the rule goes into effect in about a month because it will be too difficult to prove their age. Major auction houses such as Sotheby`s distanced themselves from the material months ago and refused to sell it. We are covering ourselves a little bit with the word “ban” because there is still some leeway for certain types of ivory, but the overall effect – if it is enshrined in law – will be as close as possible to a general ban. Keep in mind that it will take hard work to ensure that these rules remain as strict as the president has proposed until they become final, but here`s what you need to know: New Jersey, New York, California and Hawaii, the country`s largest ivory markets, have made almost all sales illegal in recent months.
“It is important that the United States protect elephant lives by helping to eliminate our nation`s role in the deadly trade,” Andrew Wetzler of the Natural Resources Defense Council said in a statement praising the government. He said the rule was in line with anti-ivory laws recently passed in New York, California and Hawaii. “Together, we are slowly but surely ending the . Contribution to the elephant poaching crisis”. The sale of ivory is now banned, with a few exceptions, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe said Wednesday. Pre-existing ivory items such as musical instruments used in orchestras, furniture and objects such as firearms weighing less than 200 grams are excluded. Antiquities from at least a century old are also exempt, but owners must prove the age of an artifact through a professional appraisal or other verifiable document, he said. The strategy`s title is a set of new rules designed to help elephants — collectively, the government calls these new rules a “ban” on imports, exports and sales of ivory here in the United States. Often when the sale of the property takes place, the documents are scattered and little to no information can be found to prove the above, making it difficult to protect yourself as a property sales company if you are ever questioned by the authorities about ivory in property sales for potential buyers. Is it worth it? On the second point, suppose you walk into a store and see an ivory item for sale. You ask the shopkeeper when it was made and he assures you that it is old enough.
But that won`t be enough with the new rules. It must now have an official document from the US Fish & Wildlife Service to back up this claim. Wildlife seized in illegal trade has provided better protection as frontline officers have been trained in rescue and care How smugglers sneak elephant ivory and other illegal artifacts into U.S. airports — right under the government`s nose Please email us for more information about our services and how we can help you with this new info@ivoryexperts.com It is best to Find out about regulations in your area, but many companies prefer to stay completely away, let customers know they can`t sell ivory, and leave it up to the customer to decide what to do. The sale of rhino horn has been banned in the U.S. for years, and Ashe suggested that an equally restrictive ban on elephant ivory is long overdue because items like pianos, cutlery handles and furniture are so popular. “He was inoculated into the culture. A luxury item. What we are doing with elephant ivory today is closer to what we are doing with rhino horn and sea turtle shells, where commercial sale is totally prohibited. Some states ban the sale of ivory altogether, so depending on where you live, you may not even be able to sell it. Ebay completely bans the sale of ivory on their platform.
List something with the words ivory and watch it disappear in minutes. This article focuses solely on the sale of ivory. When selling the property, there are many other items that you will come across, such as alcohol, firearms, safety rules for car seats, cots, etc. that you should also consider and inform yourself and your employees. Live Auctioneers is one of the few online platforms where you still see ivory items, but auctioneers who use the platform to sell the items sign an agreement that they cannot offer for sale through the platform any product of an animal species protected as endangered or threatened under current legislation, national or local. Art and antiques are the leading sector for the sale of antique ivory. To protect elephants and prevent their extinction by stifling trade, the British government has passed what Environment Secretary Michael Gove calls “one of the toughest laws” in the world. For information, DNA testing may be the best way to differentiate between African and Asian ivory. But just by looking at it, African ivory usually doesn`t have the pink hue found in Asian ivory. Asian ivory grain traces also have sharper tips, and they zigzag a little more. Julie Hall replied: “Ivory laws will most likely change again. First there was a ban on ivory and now they are trying to lift it.
Until we have more specific information about ivory and whether or not it can be sold, I strongly recommend that you distance yourself from it. C. Meets the “ancient” criteria of the Endangered Species Act. The need to differentiate between the two is not that important unless you sell it. So the first thing to determine is whether your state allows it, and when they do, are all the documents required by federal regulations available? If not, trying to understand it is a point of contention.
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