U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (CITES paperwork)

[sylnau]

It’s a real nightmare to import a guitar that contain rosewood. It’s been 6 months that I’m waiting to get the CITES certificate so the seller can ship my new guitar (from the US to Canada). Those guys at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service never reply any of my inquiry properly. I only receive automatic message like this one:

“Thank you for your inquiry. Your application is currently under review. Please be aware that we have a significant number of applications pending, and we process applications in the order they are received in the office. The staff member working on your application has been notified of your inquiry. If there is a need for additional information or clarification on information provided in your application, the staff member will contact you directly.“

Or sometimes they get mad because I keep on asking and they reply messages such as:

“In response to your numerous emails to our office, as we have stated previously, your application is currently under review. Please be aware that we have a significant number of applications pending, and we process applications in the order they are received in the office. The staff member working on your application has been notified of your inquiry. Note that our office works directly with the applicant, who is sending the guitar from the U.S. to you in Canada. If there is a need for additional information or clarification on information provided in your application, the staff member will contact the applicant directly; please contact the company who is sending the guitar to you.

We thank you for your continued patience.”


Anybody here has to deal with them? What is your story?


Nobody will want to sell guitars that contain rosewood outside of their country now... those guys at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are not very professional. The wait is a real deal breaker.

[sylnau]

Here's what they replied to customer asking how long does it takes:

"All types of rosewood is now listed under the CITES Treaty. Without knowing what type of rosewood is in your guitar, limits our ability to advise you properly. Processing times for all permits can take up to 90 days with rosewood in particular taking a bit longer due to the volume of requests that we have currently for those species.

You cannot ship any guitar made with rosewood without a permit. If, for example, you are certain and can prove such, that you have a guitar made from rosewood that is listed as Appendix II (Indian rosewood, cocobolo for example) you have an option to hand carry the item to Canada provided you clear your shipment with the proper authorities, in our case USDA/APHIS, and determine that Canada does not require an import permit prior to importing. Otherwise, I would advise you to send in a permit application and be prepared to wait at least 90 days in order to ship or for any Appendix I listed rosewood (ex. Brazilian) which must go with a permit regardless of the mode of transport. Please see these websites for permits from our office, the USDA and clearance procedures once a permit is authorized."

In my case I've been waiting for 6 months and it's not done yet. This is false information.

[Chankgeez]

Goes along with all the other FAKE NEWS put out by the U.S. Gov't.

[weed_killer]

Damn, sorry you're stuck with this mess. I guess I've been lucky in the last few months - I picked up a 70s Matsumoku EB-0 copy off reverb from a guy in California and didn't have any issues with shipping, except for the usual custom fee rip. I'm also glad I ended up with a spare 60s Mustang neck, as it seems like it would be impossible to get one over here now.

[Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D.]

do they really have a wood whisperer at every customs station? seems so unlikely...?

i admittedly do not know how this works w/ guitars...i woulda just shipped the thing w/o something like this ever crossing my mind

[sylnau]

Finaly!!!! After 6 months of wait the certificate been accepted.

[Chankgeez]

[Benn Roe]

Finaly!!!! After 6 months of wait the certificate been accepted.

See? All it took was calling them out on ILF to light a fire under their asses. Let that be a lesson to all rosewood-loving Canadians.

Congratulations!

[sylnau]

Finaly!!!! After 6 months of wait the certificate been accepted.

See? All it took was calling them out on ILF to light a fire under their asses. Let that be a lesson to all rosewood-loving Canadians.

Congratulations!

[repoman]

they hired this d00d

[Plexiprs]

Given the quality of U.S. government employee, i.e., drone, I bet it took 6 months for them to figure out how to spell "W O O D"

[Mudfuzz]

Given the quality of U.S. government employee, i.e., drone, I bet it took 6 months for them to figure out how to spell "W O O D"

Well, it's really hard to rake up fingerboards in the woods and stuff.

[rfurtkamp]

For future reference, step on your US Rep/Senator and complain.

NOTHING gets a bureaucrat moving like the Senator calling.

[Chankgeez]

They let U.S. Congressmen/Congresswomen & Senators represent Canadian people now?

[rfurtkamp]

Whichever half is stateside can bitch.