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Got this in the mail today. Sparse on instructions as to precisely what to do with it, however.

Turnaraound time was just over a week...

Don't open it!

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

The devil's in the details, as they say.

Turns out that I need to hire a customs broker to clear every shipment with CITES paperwork, or hire a courier service with custom clearance abilities.

$$$$$

Whaa? I just got my first permit yesterday. I've only glanced at it so far, but what caught my eye was that the paper had to be signed by a trained customs official... I was going to call border services and ask how I can guarantee that. I suppose the answer is going to be "hire a broker", like you said.

Yes.

I called UPS to see if they could assure that the paperwork would be handed to the right person, but they had no response beyond what was on screen, insisting that I only needed an invoice. When I asked to speak to a supervisor, they hung up.

I called DHL and got bounced around finally to their US division, they seemed to think having the papers on th box would be enough, but it didn't really feel me with any confidence that the correct thing was going to happen.

I called a customs broker, and each guitar would cost 98$ plus tax, as well as a 47$ bond certificate per guitar, or a 500$ per year bond.

And that's without actual shipping costs...

I'm waiting to see what EC has to say. Apparently it might be necessary to get docs from the US as well.

At least a one week turn around was fast. Here in the USA, I filed for a permit with Fish and Wildlife Services on Dec 14 2016 (the date that they received the paper work) and just finally got notified three days ago via email that they needed a complete inventory of the guitar. I immediately emailed the info to them and have not heard back. Apparently I only reported the CITES listed woods with receipts.

And it cost $75.00 for a pre-convention permit. I am hoping that I will not need a broker to certify the guitar also.

Chuck

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Saving the world one permit at a time.

There's a saying in the Navy that when the weight of the paperwork equals that of the ship you can launch it. We're getting there...

CITES is supposed to make buying these wildlife product expensive and difficult. The idea is that the nations where endangered species are being poached will never be able to protect them as long as there is demand in other nations.

It's a blunt instrument felt hardest by small consumers that add little to the pressures on vulnerable populations. But if it is making using rosewood and ivory impractical, it's working as designed.

Now, what were we saying about commercially available North American woods that could be used as substitutes?...


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I just hope you are not trying to import anything from an Islamic country?