Since the beginning of 2017, the decision of the Plants Committee of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species), which regulates and monitors international trade of vulnerable or endangered species, has been enforced.
This decision registers the different species of the genus Dalbergia (rosewoods and palisanders) in Appendix II1.
This appendix lists species for which trade is strictly regulated in order to monitor worldwide stocks and their movements, and to protect individual specimens. Nevertheless, their trade is not forbidden, nor as restricted as for species in Appendix I, in which the only rosewood species represented is Brazilian rosewood (Dalbergia nigra), listed since 1992.
This listing was followed by many rumours and inaccuracies, creating a wave of panic among dealers and musicians. To clarify the confusion, here is the current situation in simple terms, and the obligations that apply to anyone possessing or trading an instrument or accessories containing rosewood. This information applies only to species in Appendix II (rosewoods and pernambuco) and is not valid for Brazilian rosewood unless specified.
Your best source of information regarding CITES regulations is the staff of the competent authority of your country.. Each country has its own organisation, generally linked to the ministry, department, or office in charge of environmental matters. Do not hesitate to contact them, as they can inform you about the situation, the different types of certificates, and the necessary steps to follow. Another useful source is the official CITES website. It contains a wealth of information, though it is not always easy to find the precise details you may need. This post includes links to pages and documents concerning rosewoods and palisanders, and therefore all species included in Appendix II.
Although these certificates may seem like yet another administrative burden, they are necessary to protect rosewoods and are not difficult to obtain if you follow the correct procedure and speak to the right authority. The first section explains the situations musicians may face, and the second addresses the issues luthiers may encounter.
The first thing to keep in mind is that only trade is regulated. This means there is nothing illegal about owning or travelling with less than 10 kilograms of rosewoodrosewood2, provided you are not intending to sell it and as long as it is not Brazilian rosewood. A simple invoice is proof of good faith. It allows you to move freely between different economic areas as long as the total weight of rosewood you carry does not exceed 10 kilograms2.
Two scenarios may occur. Either your invoice is dated before January 2017, when the regulation was not yet in force, or your invoice is dated after January 2017, meaning your rosewood comes from legally declared stocks. However, even if this were not the case, you should not be held responsible; only your supplier, their supplier, or the original importer of the wood could be at fault. If you have an invoice, keep it safe, as it always proves either the legality of your purchase or at least your good faith. The same applies to Brazilian rosewood or even ebony, which is not yet affected by Appendix II but could be listed in the coming years.
Another possibility is that you own an old instrument fitted with original or antique rosewood parts, or you inherited an instrument and therefore have no invoice. In this case, it is almost impossible to prove the origin of the instrument or the species of rosewood used. There are two things to do:
We will append every new invoice concerning replacement of fittings or fingerboard. This will enable us to always keep the document up to date.
Regarding the professional instrument makers
if you have rosewood stocks, you should have declared them to the competent authorities of your country before January 2017.
If you didn’t, two scenarios are possible:
For rosewoods bought after annexation, a simple invoice will prove that your rosewood is legal, or at least it proves your good faith as a buyer. If you bought it from outside your economic area, you need a CITES exportation permit (E Certificate) or a re-exportation certificate (R Certificate).
The sale of an instrument containing or made of rosewood is strictly regulated. However, that doesn’t mean that you need a CITES certificate every-time you’re selling rosewood. I would even say it’s fairly uncommon.
If the sale is happening in the same economic area (for example the E.U. Or the U.S.A), no certificate is required, since there was a CITES certificate delivered on entering the territory, or in case of pre-convention stocks, it had been declared. The only document you must provide your customer with is an official invoice. If the sale occurs between two economic areas, you have to provide the buyer with a CITES Certificate of Re-exportation, (R certificate) that you will simply get from the the local competent authorities .
If you have an invoice for the wood or accessories, or have declared your stocks in time, the certificate is quickly sent to you. For the certificate to be legal, it should be stamped by the customs when exiting the territory of origin and stamped again when entering the country of destination. Then one leaf is returned to the seller, another one to the office that produced the certificate, and the third is kept by the buyer.
This process has to be executed by the person who carries the item, shall it be the seller, the buyer, or a shipping company. Make inquiries first as a few companies are taking the CITES treatment in charge (DHL seems to be the best at the moment), and postal services don’t manage it.
A Cites certificate for collection of sample (T certificate) will be asked to you when an instrument has to be exhibited in a different economic area, and must be joined to the ATA. However, the instrument cannot be sold and must return to its country of origin. The sale must be subjected to a re-exportation certificate (R Certificate).
All formalities are facilitated by official websites related to each local competent authority, on which you can register, and directly declare your stocks, invoices, and make an online application for a certificate. You’ll generally find a link to these websites on the official website of your national CITES authority. If you have no invoice, you might better get in touch directly with your local competent authorities by e-mail or phone to avoid any mistake.
There are other types of certificates, but these don’t concern instrument makers. The Certificate for Musical Instrument (M certificate) can be applied for only by the owner of the instrument, and is only necessary with instruments including species in annex I, like tortoise-shell, elephant ivory or Brazilian rosewood, or in annex II like rosewoods or pernambucos. It greatly facilitates mobility for the musician. They can obtain it by applying for it to the competent authorities of their home country.
When you sell an instrument to a musician destined to travel, provide him with an instrument passport as described in the chapter intended for musicians. You can find elements to establish one by clicking here. We also created a template document to fill in that you can download by clicking here for the Word file, or here for the PDF file. This document includes guidelines and a glossary to help you filling it in.
Let’s not be afraid of rosewood any more. Rules are not much restrictive when you know the right procedure, and once the steps are done (if there are any to do), there’s no need to come back to it. These measures are necessary to protect these splendid varieties that are rosewoods. Before the increasing scarcity of theses species, we have to respect these rules at best, and to take real good care of our instruments and fittings.
Nous avons aussi créé un document type de passeport à remplir que vous pouvez télécharger en cliquant ici pour
, ou ici pour
(Voir aussi
ou
, préférable pour voyager).
Ce document contient un guide ainsi qu’un glossaire pour vous aider à le compléter.
N’ayons plus peur du palissandre, les règles ne sont que peu contraignantes lorsqu’on connaît la procédure, et une fois les démarches effectuées (si toutefois il y en a effectuer), il n y a nullement besoin d’y revenir. Ces mesures sont nécessaires afin de protéger ces splendides essences que sont les palissandres. Devant la raréfaction de ces espèces, nous nous devons de respecter au mieux ces règles et de prendre soins de nos instruments et de nos accessoires du mieux que nous pouvons.
1. Working document , COP17 doc 62 Seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, Johannesburg (South Africa), 24 September – 5 October 2016. Back to the article
2. Working document PC23 Doc.22.2 , Twenty-third meeting of the Plants Committee, Geneva (Switzerland), 22 and 24 – 27 July 2017, page 3, interpretation of the exemption…. in the case of orchestras… Back to the article
Other sources on the CITES website:
– PC22 Doc.17.6, Twenty-second meeting of the Plants Committee, Tbilisi (Georgia), 19 – 23 October 2015, Implementation of the convention for Dalbergia spp.
– PC23 Doc.22.1, Twenty-third meeting of the Plants Committee, Geneva (Switzerland), 22 and 24 – 27 July 2017, Implementation of decision 17.234
– PC23 inf. 8, Twenty-third meeting of the Plants Committee, Geneva (Switzerland), 22 and 24 – 27 July 2017, International trade in rosewood species for musical instrument making
– PC24 Doc.18.2, Twenty-fourth meeting of the Plants Committee, Geneva (Switzerland), 20, 21 and 23 – 26 July 2018, report of the secretariat about Malagasy ebonies (Diospyros spp.) and palisanders and rosewoods (Dalbergia spp.)
– PC24 Doc.19.1, Twenty-fourth meeting of the Plants Committee, Geneva (Switzerland), 20, 21 and 23 – 26 July 2018, report of the Plants Comittee