Ivory Exemptions for Older Musical Instruments

During the week of November 27, NAMM in conjunction with the League of American Orchestras, represented the music products industry concerns at a policy meeting (standing committee) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in Geneva, Switzerland.  The group of global governmental participants and private sector stakeholders met for a week of discussions on agenda items that included the interpretation of current rules related to wood species used in musical instruments and to set the stage for longer-term revisions to be proposed at the next Conference of the Parties (May 2019).

The agenda for the stakeholder group included crafting policy requests and discussion related to dalbergia and recommendations to Annotation 15; and the Musical Instrument Certificate; the Frequent Cross-Border Non-Commercial Movements of Musical Instruments, which was adopted at the CoP 2017.  Once at the meeting, the participants held a special event which addressed opportunities to meet urgent conservation needs while protecting travel and trade with musical instruments. Representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the European Union management authority, World Wildlife Fund, and World Resources Institute provided remarks at the music event while expressing optimism about finding solutions to the new barriers to travel and trade.

Of the gathering, Heather Noonan, vice president of advocacy for the League of American Orchestras shared “We repeatedly heard CITES parties and non-governmental organizations agree that the terms of the dalbergia listing need to be changed. Conversations in the months ahead will lay the foundation for crafting a solution that prevents threats to the species while also relieving the music community of unnecessary and costly restrictions.”

The most urgent concerns addressed by CITES authorities involved interpreting the terms for current exemptions from the permit requirements of the new Appendix II listing of non-Brazilian rosewood (dalbergia) species. The CITES governing organizations are set to issue a new set of interpretive guidance soon to harmonize implementation across countries.  

The next steps to expand the scope of exemptions from dalbergia permit requirements will occur at the CITES Conference of the Parties in 2019. Here, the 183 treaty members will review recommendations from the participating management authorities. 

NAMM Members attending the 2018 NAMM Show can be a part of this developing conversation at our Import/Export Policy CITES Forum, Thursday, January 25, 2018, 10 - 11am in the NAMM Member Center, Anaheim Convention Center Hall B Lobby. Industry experts Jim Goldberg, Goldberg & Associates; Heather Noonan, American League of Orchestras; and Linda Davis-Wallen, C.F. Martin & Co., Inc, will discuss the current status of the CITES listing of all rosewood species and its impact on international instrument trade.

Since the January 2, 2017 implementation of dalbergia as an Appendix II species, NAMM has been partnering with other music stakeholders to seek clarity from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and international management authorities on the scope of eligible activities under the listing’s exemption for non-commercial activity. To read the international music industry’s statement of principles issued in September of 2017, and to receive ongoing CITES policy updates, please visit this site often.