Importing guitars and the Lacey Act - need "country of harvest" for DNA, UVMC

[brett8388]

I'm purchasing two guitars from Canada and bringing them into the USA and Fed Ex (the carrier) is asking me to provide "Plant and Plant Product Import Declarations" for each guitar. This is based on the Lacey Act - the same law the government has been harassing Gibson with. I don't want Obama on my ass too.

I know both the DNA and UVMC are made of American Basswood, Rosewood, and Maple. Here's the piece I don't know...

What is the "Country of Harvest" of the rosewood and maple used in a 1991 UVMC and 2000 DNA?

Can anyone help?

Thanks.

[replica]

How can any consumer know that information?

[Rich]

No consumer would know, much less any of the experts.

The rosewood is the killer, that's the protected wood on those guitars. I'm not even sure Hoshino knows exactly where it was harvested. Fujigen always supplied the woods and only if the exact type was specified in the specs of a certain model would there be a record, maybe [like it says American basswood].

Brett, I sent off an email to prep them to see if anything can be found, so at least the call might be worth it, but I'm not optimistic. And now that the Lacey Act hits this close, I think I'm done importing guitars until these questions have solid answers, which I'm not sure they ever will.

[jer3d]

Oh no! What's next? Baked maple on my Ibanez!?

[taracatac]

If that is the case, how can Ibanez sell guitars in the US? The situation is asinine.

[psychoshredder]

damn... that's ridiculous.

I thought my country has very funny regulation of all, now I changed my mind.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by taracatac

If that is the case, how can Ibanez sell guitars in the US? The situation is asinine.

Undoubtedly they're conforming to all current government regulations, but we're talking about 12 and 21 year old guitars. And Japan has never really conformed to the same codes of endangered species the rest of the civilized world has. They're still whaling!!!

[Takin' a Ride]

Wow very strange. The only guitar I've ever imported was a 2003 J.Custom from the UK and it basically just showed up at my door, no questions asked. That was about a year ago I think.

[jer3d]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this applies to not only importing, but also traveling to another country with a guitar you already own!

[AlaskaBat]

Brett--I'll call my contact at Hoshino USA tomorrow and see if he can help out. However, if Rich can't get the info, I doubt my contact will have anything extra to provide.
I'll give it a shot, though.

[dccomputersa]

I would just find a different carrier, screw FedEx, maybe UPS won't ask. If they do there is always the good old Postal Service!

[RGTFanatic]

Brett, you should declare that the both guitars are: Basswood (USA), Hard Rock Maple (Canadian), Santos Rosewood (southern Mexico).

As far as you (or any of us) know....this is true since Ibanez has never revealed where it sources it's timber's. The burden of proof is on them, not you.

Hopefully, Rich or Rob will get some actual confirmation, but if they can't these woods are considered completely acceptable for import/export according to the Lacey Act.

[Takin' a Ride]

I was going to say, how the hell would they know if you made it up?

[musikron]

Originally Posted by RGTFanatic

. The burden of proof is on them, not you.

This could not be further from the truth. Its along the lines of ignorance of the law is no defense.
Yes you need documentation for everything when crossing international lines now, and Obama had nothing to do with the Lacey act, its been in place since the 70's.
The Lacey act is a good thing, unless you want baked maple and plastic guitars from here on out.

[AlaskaBat]

Originally Posted by musikron

This could not be further from the truth. Its along the lines of ignorance of the law is no defense.
Yes you need documentation for everything when crossing international lines now, and Obama had nothing to do with the Lacey act, its been in place since the 70's.
The Lacey act is a good thing, unless you want baked maple and plastic guitars from here on out.

Shouldn't the shipper be supplying this info, though?