No need to worry about CITES any more?
 

https://www.namm.org/ISSUES-AND-ADVO...goKPVFhhf57j40

Am I interpreting this right?

We can now ship finished instruments over the borders?

As I read it, the meeting at which they would have considered the proposal to amend annotation #15 that was supposed to have been on May 23 to June 3 was postponed indefinitely. So problem not solved yet.

That is correct - the CITES convention in Sri Lanka which was going to discuss the exemption/amendments for musical instruments was postponed due to the recent terrorist attack there and there is no information as to when it will be rescheduled to.

They're gonna get right on it . . .
 

I'm sure they're in the process of developing recommendations for initiating a task force to study suggestions for implementing a revised plan to consider the proposal to amend annotation #15.

Give them time. This is a huge organization with an enormous scope, and it doesn’t move fast. At least when they’re wrong, they acknowledge it and are willing to adopt amendments ;)

And it will mean more guitars able to travel across more borders, and there’s nothing but good in that.

Still wouldn't buy a new build with Brazilian or Madagascar. EIR - fine.

Nothing wrong with a nice set of EIR but, to be pedantic, CITES view BRW and Madagascan rosewood very differently. BRW is appendix 1 and regulated far more strictly than all the other rosewoods, maddie included.

But If I, living in the US, were to buy a new guitar with BRW, say from Pre*War, and never planned on leaving the US why would CITES matter? I'm curious because I don't know much about this. Would this only be a concern for people moving from country to country?

CITES restricts the movement of named, endangered species between countries. If you buy it in one country and never take it out of that country it currently has no direct influence on you.

Those living in small countries with limited sized markets need to think about international resale when they purchase a high end guitar. Here in the US it’s not as much of concern since were likely to be able to buy and sell within our own borders. Not true for many others on AGF outside the US.

@UncleJesse: I believe Andrew was taking a moral position due to the harvesting of these woods (he has written on this in other threads, and he is not alone), not expressing concern over import/export regulations.

Except that new guitars being made of BRW in the US (such as the $20,000 Martin D-28 Brazilian) are made from “pre-CITES” inventory. Buying such an instrument has zero impact on the current sustainability of these trees.

Creates demand.

hunter

Hello again! ;)

It's not just resale, most of those high end instruments simply aren't available to begin with. And it's not just the 'boutique' stuff. Makers like Waterloo, Eastman, Furch, Breedlove etc have no presence in small countries like my own. I have to check the specs of any guitar I'm interested in importing in detail - it may have an ebony bridge and fingerboard but is that a rosewood overlay on the headstock? Does the seller's description match the manufacturers? It's all rather frustrating.