CITES updates and Wood Samples needed
Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2018 7:54 pm
Needed 7 flutes to be inspected yesterday so instead of the remote inspection I headed over to my friendly APHIS office by the airport, followed by a lovely and important time with my engraving muse Nico and a brief drop off of mail and Filipino Phil's Nuclear Meltdown Hot Sauce for my daughter before heading home and then heading off to Gig Harbor to hear a concert by the Danish group Songspiel. Was a great day.
The Biologists at the Plant Inspection Station (USDA-APHIS) are great people and fun to hang out with. One of them has actually been to American Science and Surplus where last year I scored that huge pile of LeBlanc clarinet tubes. Mike the inspector is very prompt and careful on the paperwork and makes sure I have certified copies for my records. He asks me a lot of good questions in terms of how we can make this process smoother and other scuttlebut and appreciates my role as the CITES whisperer.
Further to that mission he would like to build up a wood sample library for the Seattle office and maybe some of the other busy ones. So I'll be bringing him samples of all the woods that I use, CITES classified or not, including samples of Ebonies that he can contrast with African Blackwood. They are dramatically different on the microscopic scales. There were about 12 boom microscopes of different types in the inspection lab where I took out all of my flutes. I am going to inquire to see if they have any that are "Government Surplus".
One wood that I don't have samples of is Cocus. I think I gave the last of what I had to Peter Noy. I have Blackwood, Boxwood, Ebony, Mopane. I might still have a little bit of Honduran Rosewood but no Cocobolo, Kingwood, and other frequently used Rosewoods. I am putting out a request for other makers to sed me samples of wood that you use so their reference collection is complete, and they don't confiscate something that isn't CITES listed. It is in our best interests to do this even if it seems like too much gubbernment intrusion to some.
I know one wind instrument maker who is even a KKK member and Tea Partier who I am sure didn't bother to get his CITES permits... Not someone that I really want to interact with after I found out about him. Just like all of the Sporting Goods Stores and the NRA right now!
I did ask about antique and even mildly vintage instruments with Ivory, either Elephant, Fossil Mammoth or Mastodon, Walrus or Cetacean, including instruments that are certainly antique and pre CITES I (the more restricted) and in the case of eBay sales. Its still possible to get these provided one obtains the necessary import and export permits - in the short term. In the long term they want to cease all International trade in modern (including antique) ivory. I am fully in support of this given that ivory can be easily antiqued by burying modern ivory in an acidic bog for only a few months, or use other techniques to age it.
I asked about whether or not they knew how to distinguish modern Elephant ivories from Mastodon or Mammoth. They didn't - and I informed them about the angles on the ring structure. But this depends how the tusk is cut and whether the rings are obvious. Also most inspection points such as the borders or the large mail import centers will have inspectors who will never know the difference. Thus to lean into the Devil's Advocate side they wish to ban all commerce in this substance regardless of the age. This will probably be done by rule making and could happen soon - this year even hopefully. Its a big topic right now apparently.
Bone is even harder to tell the origin of thus it is best avoided. Stick to plastic resin ivories! I'll be including some samples of the GPS materials. I could use samples of the others though, if other makers have any to spare.
A final issue: I have 6 of the single use permits that cost $5 and these expire on 5 days. I needed 7 flutes inspected and these are going to Asutria, germany, Australia, Japan, Colombia and 2 to Chilé where they have an active Celtic Music scene including a big Galician Gaita scene. I would love to see this! We decided that it would be best to use some of the newly issued individual use permits than risk some monkey business on the receiving end with permits that expired in transit. So I am out $30. But that is much better than having an instrument with $450 confiscated. Insurance wouldn't cover this and I doubt if I would get it returned to me. I would be hesitant to use any permit that would expire in a month or less while in transit.
Finally add Columbia to the list of countries where the client must obtain an import permit as well, and Chilé toi the countries where they don't. Michael Grinter informs me that Australia requires this and my client is going to check to make sure. However, I got it in writing from the Australian Government that an import permit wasn't required. Michael might be misinformed or not. We had a lovely online conversation which we want to continue soon. His flutes - the few that I have seen - all play really well to me and look sharp.
Casey
The Biologists at the Plant Inspection Station (USDA-APHIS) are great people and fun to hang out with. One of them has actually been to American Science and Surplus where last year I scored that huge pile of LeBlanc clarinet tubes. Mike the inspector is very prompt and careful on the paperwork and makes sure I have certified copies for my records. He asks me a lot of good questions in terms of how we can make this process smoother and other scuttlebut and appreciates my role as the CITES whisperer.
Further to that mission he would like to build up a wood sample library for the Seattle office and maybe some of the other busy ones. So I'll be bringing him samples of all the woods that I use, CITES classified or not, including samples of Ebonies that he can contrast with African Blackwood. They are dramatically different on the microscopic scales. There were about 12 boom microscopes of different types in the inspection lab where I took out all of my flutes. I am going to inquire to see if they have any that are "Government Surplus".
One wood that I don't have samples of is Cocus. I think I gave the last of what I had to Peter Noy. I have Blackwood, Boxwood, Ebony, Mopane. I might still have a little bit of Honduran Rosewood but no Cocobolo, Kingwood, and other frequently used Rosewoods. I am putting out a request for other makers to sed me samples of wood that you use so their reference collection is complete, and they don't confiscate something that isn't CITES listed. It is in our best interests to do this even if it seems like too much gubbernment intrusion to some.
I know one wind instrument maker who is even a KKK member and Tea Partier who I am sure didn't bother to get his CITES permits... Not someone that I really want to interact with after I found out about him. Just like all of the Sporting Goods Stores and the NRA right now!
I did ask about antique and even mildly vintage instruments with Ivory, either Elephant, Fossil Mammoth or Mastodon, Walrus or Cetacean, including instruments that are certainly antique and pre CITES I (the more restricted) and in the case of eBay sales. Its still possible to get these provided one obtains the necessary import and export permits - in the short term. In the long term they want to cease all International trade in modern (including antique) ivory. I am fully in support of this given that ivory can be easily antiqued by burying modern ivory in an acidic bog for only a few months, or use other techniques to age it.
I asked about whether or not they knew how to distinguish modern Elephant ivories from Mastodon or Mammoth. They didn't - and I informed them about the angles on the ring structure. But this depends how the tusk is cut and whether the rings are obvious. Also most inspection points such as the borders or the large mail import centers will have inspectors who will never know the difference. Thus to lean into the Devil's Advocate side they wish to ban all commerce in this substance regardless of the age. This will probably be done by rule making and could happen soon - this year even hopefully. Its a big topic right now apparently.
Bone is even harder to tell the origin of thus it is best avoided. Stick to plastic resin ivories! I'll be including some samples of the GPS materials. I could use samples of the others though, if other makers have any to spare.
A final issue: I have 6 of the single use permits that cost $5 and these expire on 5 days. I needed 7 flutes inspected and these are going to Asutria, germany, Australia, Japan, Colombia and 2 to Chilé where they have an active Celtic Music scene including a big Galician Gaita scene. I would love to see this! We decided that it would be best to use some of the newly issued individual use permits than risk some monkey business on the receiving end with permits that expired in transit. So I am out $30. But that is much better than having an instrument with $450 confiscated. Insurance wouldn't cover this and I doubt if I would get it returned to me. I would be hesitant to use any permit that would expire in a month or less while in transit.
Finally add Columbia to the list of countries where the client must obtain an import permit as well, and Chilé toi the countries where they don't. Michael Grinter informs me that Australia requires this and my client is going to check to make sure. However, I got it in writing from the Australian Government that an import permit wasn't required. Michael might be misinformed or not. We had a lovely online conversation which we want to continue soon. His flutes - the few that I have seen - all play really well to me and look sharp.
Casey