Only for East Indian Rosewood and a few others. But not for Brazilian Rosewood!
Don't ask me how guys like a Joe Bonamassa can buy vintage instruments (which all contain Braz) in Europe and Australia (which he did) and bring them back in the US.
I was reading that old F&WS letter again this morning and wondering about the musical instrument exemption for traveling musicians.
(Wish I could copy'n'paste from a PDF!)
https://www.fws.gov/international/p...appendix-II-timber-listings-December-2016.pdf
Anyway, in question 47 on pg. 23 they take pains to describe what "Pre-convention" means, and that anything made from wood harvested prior to the CITES listing date qualifies as pre-convention and is exempt
from document requirements, but don't specifically address the unique case of Brazilian.
The answer to question #52 finally seems to nail it down:
"You do not need a
US CITES import permit from our office documentation for unless the instrument contains species listed in Appendix I AND
is not preconvention.
The United States does not require the issuance of import permits for CITES pre-Convention specimens nor Appendix II specimens."
So if one could prove the Brazilian is pre-Convention then one could bring it into the US freely.
Touring with it could be problematic though, since the issuance of an instrument certificate is predicated on the piece meeting CITES requirements and the US rules out Appendix I specimens from being allowed to qualify for
export documentation even under personal carry exemption.
Maybe Joe can afford to task "one of his people" with dealing with F&WS and Customs to find or enable the right "discretionary loophole"?
Although the subject of this question was international shipment for repair, I do see a note at bottom of page 20 that F&WS will consider inquiries on a case-by-case basis and that tells me there may be a loophole available there, especially if the Braz itself is pre-Convention:
Greta article, addresses that "pre-Convention" question specifically, for items going IN to the EU, at least.
And we know the US also doesn't require incoming documentation for pre-convention specimens.
"If you don’t buy the guitar to resell it (or to make money from it in any other way, e.g. to sell photos of it),
it is for private purpose."
Seems to confirm what the F&WS service outlined, and suspect Joe's been able to demonstrate his intent to keep the instruments.
Still, obtaining the certification's gotta be problematic, and as you've discovered, if one comes here to buy the guitar, as far as I know right now it'd be problematic to get the
export documentation, due to the clause in that letter that says Appendix I species aren't eligible for export certificates or personal property exemption.
Perhaps pre-convention specimens would qualify under the same rationale that allows a US seller to get the export document stamped in the right box to allow the international sale?