Al, it's really interesting. The tree was felled in the '60s, but was lost for a long time before it was actually transported from its home. I wonder how it fits in the treaty. That said, if ANY tree's origin is well-known, it's this one's!
Anything that's gonna cross borders would need the documents, no matter the "reputation".
The definitive starting point is when it left Honduras.
Article said found ten years after felling, so let's say 1975 is earliest date it could have left and come into US.
This link shows when species were listed, for purposes of establishing "pre-CITES" status dates:
https://www.fws.gov/international/plants/current-cites-listings-of-tree-species.html
So that chart says specifically Swietenia macrophylla,
Bigleaf mahogany, the subject wood here, wasn't listed until '95.
Also, being on appendix II, it only required source and date documents from the source country, it's not in the same category or subject to outright import/export
prohibitions like
Appendix I woods where D. Nigra, Brazilian Rosewood, is found.
That said, it was even during New Hartford's era when Europe quarantined a bunch of Honduran product and they had to switch to a different species to sell over there. I believe those guitars were eventually sold in Europe, but it was a big to-do and I'm not absolutely certain.
I suspect the issue was the
documentation (or lack thereof) of CITES compliancy for the 'hog.
It could have been due to a failure to ID the source country, where and when the wood was harvested, when applying for the export permit because as you can see from the chart, different mahoganies were listed at different times.
So the documentation would have been based on the proper chain-of-custody paperwork showing it was in the US "legally" when it was used, and it would have been Guild's responsibility to have provided that to FWS for the proper export permits.
I could see that getting overlooked through honest human error, for example.
The procedure for obtaining proper documentation, and the one StewMac would have used if they needed to, is outlined here, on page 6:
https://www.fws.gov/international/p...appendix-II-timber-listings-December-2016.pdf
We've had reports from members about Europe being much more stringent about enforcing CITES regs than other areas, and it's even mentioned in that official FWS letter.***
I think probably because their ports were seeing so much more trade in illegally harvested wood
from Africa.
Most likely StewMac's wood is "legal" but if it came in after '95 it needed one type of cert, and if they owned it prior to that they'd need to "prove" that to FWS to be certified "pre-CITES" status.
And
only if they wanted to export it outside the US.
And all that's why I suspect StewMac doesn't bother to bore us with irrelevant stuff in their ad.
If somebody asks then I'm sure they'll tell 'em.
:friendly_wink:
***It might even be that the receiving country said "All your export permits are fine and in order but you forgot to get
import permits from us"
:eeeek!:
