This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment The USA requires all imported ivory products (ie; piano key tops) to = be=20 over 100 years old. A century-old Steinway is legal to import. However, = you=20 must have all the darn paperwork. This includes a "Pre-Convention = Permit"=20 issued by the CITES Commission in the country of export (Convention on=20 International Trade in Endangered Species). Go to=20 "http://www.cites.org/common/directy/e_directy.html" to find the CITES=20 authority in any country. Your "Pro-Forma Invoice" (shipping list) = should=20 note which articles contain the ivory. Every article in your shipment = must=20 be clearly numbered to match your invoice numbers. You must present your = CITES Permit to U.S. Fish & Wildlife at the proper import location. You = can=20 only import ivory through certain U.S. ports (including New York and=20 Boston). Some countries require an appraisal before granting a permit. = This=20 just has to look official, and it is usually granted (costs vary from=20 $25-$75 per article to $25. for any number of articles) . Of course, = many=20 pianos cannot be dated exactly, but an estimation that looks knowedgable = will usually suffice. If you import for business use (resale), you must = have=20 a license from Fish & Wildlife. This costs about $75, I think. It is = usually=20 much simpler to import "personal articles". Also, your CITES permit must = predate the date of importation (ie; you can't apply for one after they = ask=20 you for it). After all that, Fish & Wildlife may still inspect the = piano(s).=20 Why this is, I'm not sure. You have already told them of the ivory. = Anyway,=20 this may involve weeks or months of waiting and storage fees. The = importer=20 has no recourse and must pay all costs. One time, they held a shipment = of=20 mine for 3 months, broke things by putting pianos atop tables, etc., = then=20 billed me for $2800. There was nothing I could do but pay! One idea: Remove the keys and ship the piano only. Then, ship the = keys=20 separately with the CITES douments. This way, if there is a problem, = they=20 only can hold the keys hostage. Most countries allow importation of ivory products made before the = CITES=20 Convention was signed (1974, I think). The U.S. is the exception to = this. It=20 is legal, however, to buy and sell ivory within the borders of the U.S. = so=20 long as it is not new. Philip Jamison Pianos West Chester, PA=20 ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/08/1c/af/ce/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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