Importing a guitar from the USA to EU - CITES

FreD41 · #1 10-09-2019, 06:40 AM

Hi,
I am new here. I really love reading this forum.
I was looking into a new guitar to cure my GAS for a moment.
It's been since 2013 since I imported a Martin GPCPA1 plus from the USA to Belgium, where I live. Had no issues back then with customs. But I just read some things about the CITES law.
Anyone got some experience with exporting from the USA or importing from the USA to the EU?
I am not talking about Brazilian rosewood instrument. Just normal rosewood.
Thanks in advance,
Frederick

MThomson · #2 10-09-2019, 07:22 AM

CITES restrictions changing on 28th November which will resolve any issues for all rosewood except Brazilian Rosewood

FreD41 · #3 10-09-2019, 07:25 AM

Thanks for the response. So better to wait I suppose :-)

MChild62 · #4 10-09-2019, 10:01 AM

I’ve traveled from the US to Europe with a full sized acoustic a couple of times, and many times with a folding travel guitar. Always as a carry on.
Not once have I been stopped or inspected, with the exception of London City Airport last year when the Allen wrench for my travel guitar truss rod got confiscated (no tools allowed on board...safety issue they said...)
I’m sure this must happen somewhere or people wouldn’t be discussing it, but I honestly wouldn’t know who at the major European airports would even know what to flag for a possible CITES violation or when or where they would do this with a carry on.
Meaning...even if you had the right paperwork and did get stopped at security or on the way to your plane, who would you show it to?

malcolm kelt · #5 10-09-2019, 12:50 PM

Hi

It will depend on whether the guitar is through a dealer/manufacturer or a private sale. I recently imported a custom built Collings OM2H, Sitka/Indian Rosewood, from the states to Scotland, there was Cites paperwork to complete but was undertaken by the Collings dealer.
If it had been a private sale I guess I would have had to sort out the Cites paperwork myself.

Scotsmalc.

Yrksman · #6 10-09-2019, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by malcolm kelt

Hi

It will depend on whether the guitar is through a dealer/manufacturer or a private sale. I recently imported a custom built Collings OM2H, Sitka/Indian Rosewood, from the states to Scotland, there was Cites paperwork to complete but was undertaken by the Collings dealer.
If it had been a private sale I guess I would have had to sort out the Cites paperwork myself.

Scotsmalc.

After Nov 28th it won’t matter except for Brazilian rosewood.

FreD41 · #7 10-10-2019, 12:46 AM

Thanks for the answers, so best to wait a while to invest in a new guitar from the USA then :-)