I found this thread on the gear page ( don't know how to link it so I'll copy and paste) It was a good clear explanation for me of how the Lacey act affects imported woods..... I'm also under the impression that shell products are also going to be in need of a chain of origin not just wood products.
How are guitars that are exported from the US affected?
Quote:
Exclamation Every Wooden Piece of a Guitar Must Now Be Declared at United States Customs!
U.S. Lacey Act Protects Endangered Tonewoods
Mar 20, 2010 Marcy Paulson
Guitarists have learned to live without tortoise shell picks and ivory saddles, but today; practically every piece of the guitar hangs in the balance. Beginning on April 1, a dusty piece of U.S. legislation called the Lacey Act will regulate every piece of wood passing through customs to help protect the world’s vanishing supply of tropical tonewoods.
Most guitar players have never heard of this century-old piece of legislation signed by President McKinley in 1900, but guitar makers and manufacturers have spent the last months preparing for its new regulations. Originally, the Lacey Act protected wild game and birds from being killed in one state and sold in another. It also prevented animal species from being released into non-native environments. Over decades of amendments, reptiles, amphibians, mollusks, crustaceans, and finally plant life garnered the law’s protection as well.
How the Lacey Act Affects Guitar Players and Other Musicians
Obviously, anything which affects instrument makers and manufacturers will trickle down to the consumers, but the Lacey Act has implications for musicians who travel as well. "If an instrument is being carried in passenger baggage, it does not need to be declared," says Alyn Kiel a Public Affairs Specialist for the U.S. Dpt. of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services. "However, if it is formally entering the country, being shipped for example, then it must be declared. It's my understanding that many musicians choose to ship their instruments for insurance purposes."
Passing wooden musical instruments through customs without proper documentation could now bring about serious repercussions. "There are two types of penalties," says Kiel. For a misdemeanor, there's a $100,000 fine and a year in prison. A felony results in a $250,000 fine and 5 years in prison."
Under this legislation, a misdemeanor occurs when an individual brings an item into the country which he should have known was illegal but did not. A misdemeanor also occurs when an individual knows an item is illegal but the item has a value less than $350. Felonies are reserved for items of higher monetary value which individuals knew were illegal to import. "APHIS itself doesn't decide on the penalties," comments Kiel. "The courts will decide whether the person trying to import materials into the United States knew they were illegal or not."
If an instrument predating the legislation is coming into the United States for purchase, the person shipping the instrument can print off a declaration form and enter in box 10, labeled description of merchandise, "Manufactured prior to May 22, 2008." This is the date the ammendments to the Lacey Act were enacted. If the individual shipping the instrument is aware of the materials used to make the instrument, he should fill in the rest of the information concerning its components and the scientific names of the woods used.
If the musical instrument is to be used in performance, musicians can enter in that same box 10 either, "Musical instrument for use in performance," or "Musical instrument returning from performance." Bottom line, musicians who purchase a new guitar or other musical instrument with wooden components will need to keep track of and travel with the documentation accompanying their new instrument.
How the Lacey Act Affects Musical Instrument Makers
Beginning April first, any wood product imported into the United States from toys, to tools, to household furniture will need to be declared and accompanied by documentation. “For musical instrument manufacturers,” says Rick Nelson of Flaxwood Guitars, “it means that everything that has wood content is going to have to have what they call a chain of origin. You need to know where it was harvested, when it was harvested, where it was shipped, and all of the companies or entities through which it passed.”
Musical instrument makers are by no means the prime culprits in the mismanagement of exotic hardwoods, but they are possibly the ones most concerned by the thought of a world without tonewoods. While new restrictions will certainly cause them a paperwork headache, they know it’s the right thing to do for the environment and for future generations of musicians. For more information on the Lacey Act, a copy of the declaration form, and a direct email for questions, readers can check out Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s website.
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Quotes from Alyn Kiel and Rick Nelson taken in conversation, March, 2010
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