The Department of Justice earlier this week issued an affidavit and opinion declaring that all Indian rosewood and Indian ebony fingerboard blanks are illegal. The ruling is based on the fact that the World Trade Organization's harmonized code for sawn plank, which best describes a fingerboard blank which will be processed further, is 4407. The Indian government's insistence on using the trade code for musical instrument parts, 9209, describes a finished part which a fingerboard blank is decidedly not. Consequently all Indian rosewood and ebony fingerboard blanks are illegal because they were imported with the wrong code, and because India prohibits the exportation of unfinished domestic woods over 6mm which would export under the correct code of 4407.

Have a nice day....

Though no one on the planet uses 6mm wood as veneer.

It's the Justice Department's opinion that every single guitar in the entire USA that was made within the last 20 years is illegal?

So that's only if they came from India?

Bob, I have letters from the Ministry of trade that say the same thing. The problem is that it's a World Trade Organization issue -- India can't unilaterally decide to export fingerboards fitting a description of 4407 under 9209. The US is following WTO. India needs to formally permit their export under 4407, or the US needs to recognize India's little quirk.

Backs and sides are under 6mm and are exported legally under the code for Veneer.

Just one more reason why manufacturing has fled the US.

The fb's I order will be tapered and sanded.

Some folks keep talking about illegal wood which this has nothing to do with.

Unfortunately, that's not true....
The Lacey act doesn't really differentiate between whether it's "Illegal" because you poached an endangered species or whether it's "Illegal" because it's miscategorized on the Custom's paperwork because the NATION it came from chooses to categorize a "Finished product" differently than other countries do......

Shoot... The paper toilet paper you wipe your butt with could just as easily get you arrested because some logger in Canada forgot to pay his stumpage or because some pulpwood importer brought the wood in under the wrong customs code by mistake..... That toilet paper in your bathroom is now "Contraband" under Lacey and you are subject to search, forfeiture, and arrest.... and YOU are under strict liability to prove otherwise....

How could you ever prove it? Do you really think that Kroger keeps that good of records on their house brand TP of exactly what log went into what roll of TP? What roll of TP went into exactly what package? What package was sold to you?

That's why the law as written is such a horrible mess....

Why is that? I don't see the connection. India is assuring work for their people. Maybe the US should try and do the same.

Bob, I have letters from the Ministry of trade that say the same thing. The problem is that it's a World Trade Organization issue -- India can't unilaterally decide to export fingerboards fitting a description of 4407 under 9209. The US is following WTO. India needs to formally permit their export under 4407, or the US needs to recognize India's little quirk.