Hide your exotics!

[Curt Fuller]

On Wednesday morning the FBI raided the facilities of Gibson guitars in Nashville and Memphis, supposedly on a tip that they were using illegally imported exotic woods. I know Brazilian rosewood is illegal to import these days. Does anyone know of any other illegal exotics?

http://www.wkrn.com/story/15325684/feds-raid-gibson-guitar-corp-in-nashville

(http://www.wkrn.com/story/15325684/feds-raid-gibson-guitar-corp-in-nashville)

[Bill Wyko]

:confused:Old growth Teak I believe is also on the no cut list. I built my kitchen out of it right before they listed it.:D

[Steve Kubien]

Basically if it is threatened or endangered, no? Lots of species on those lists, especially threatened.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Wow now that is something. I think Bill is right on the Teak. We did some remodel with some before they black listed it.

[Robert Henrickson]

Another story, from the Wall Street Journal, with more detail.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904787404576530520471223268.html

[Jim Burr]

Well that stinks!! I have an ES335 and a Wickstrom accoustic. My 335 was built in the 80's but my Wickstrom was made 7 years ago and I know for a fact it has Madagascar rosewood and ebony...per my request! Better hide it!

[Damon Stathatos]

I just caught a commentary regarding the Gibson raid on the radio. The segment included a recorded statement from a spokesperson at Gibson. It seems as if the Feds are questioning the legality of the exportation of Indian Rosewood (from India). The Indian government has requirements that a certain percentage of 'processing' or 'labor' must be performed on Indian Rosewood in India before exportation. In other words, no raw wood is to be exported, but some form of 'finished' product is legal. The Indian government determines how much finishing is required and then either allows the exportation or doesn't. The Gibson spokesperson explained that since the Indian authorities allowed the export, then it was exported (from India) legally. Apparently, our Feds are questioning whether or not the Indian Rosewood fretboards at Gibson had been processed sufficiently in India before they were exported. In other words, they are not interpreting violations of OUR laws, but, presumably, possible violations of India's (exporting) laws.

There may be more to it than that and there may be some sort of tie-in between 'illegally' exported products and the legalities of their subsequent importation here, I'm not sure, but this is how the Gibson spokesperson presented the situation.

[George Guadiane]

There may be more to it than that and there may be some sort of tie-in between 'illegally' exported products and the legalities of their subsequent importation here, I'm not sure, but this is how the Gibson spokesperson presented the situation.

If I were a Gibson employee, who's livelihood depended on the company, I might spin it that way, factual or not.

I mean seriously, did you think he would say "yeah, we knowingly, purposefully brought in illegal materials because we knew we could make a TON of money by doing it."?

If the Gibson employee didn't specifically say that they were not in violation of the American law, you can BET that they are.

Just my take.

[Damon Stathatos]

I don't have a 'dog in this hunt' however, as an importer of exotic hardwoods, some of which are CITIES protected, I was naturally interested. I was half-way finished reading through this thread and listening to the radio at the same time the Gibson segment came on. You may be right and it may be 'spin' by the evil money-grubbing Gibson but this article seems to confirm what the Gibson 'guy' was purporting:

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110826/NEWS01/308260088/Gibson-Guitar-chief-denies-wrongdoing-after-raids

I was incorrect that it is Indian Ebony, not Indian Rosewood. From the article:

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agents believe Gibson is illegally smuggling wood from India to make fretboards, according to a search warrant unsealed Thursday.
...and then...
On June 27, authorities in Dallas seized a shipment that arrived by air and included 1,250 sawn Indian ebony wood logs. The logs were cut to a size that could be used to make fretboards, but were unfinished. According to a federal affidavit, Indian law prohibits wood in this form from being exported and the federal Lacey Act requires American importers to obey foreign laws pertaining to the export of plants and woods.


Further, what the Gibson guy's point was that the issue wasn't illegal importing but the issue of whether or not it was legally exported. The article continues with:

Various shipping documents misrepresented the package’s contents, according to the affidavit. One document said the shipment included veneer sheets of wood less than 6 millimeters — the type of materials that would be used to build guitar bodies, not fretboards — and another labeled the shipment as “finished products of musical instruments,” according to the affidavit.

In my 'previous life' I was a medium to large-ish importer of fairly mundane products such as seasonal decorations and outdoor patio furniture. I can attest to the fact that the shipping documents that many suppliers send along with their shipments are anywhere from 'marginal-at-best' to almost incoherent (and what keeps our Custom Broker industry alive and well). The reason for this is that they usually have no clue as to the classification their shipment will fall under in regards to our customs regulations so they basically just try to describe the product the best they can and then hope that the rest will fall into line on 'our side.' Lastly, it doesn't matter a bit as to what the documents stated (to a point), only what classification the Custom Broker entered the shipment under.

If I can read between the lines...they have nothing on Gibson as to the manner which the ebony was entered (imported) into this country but are concerned that it was 'smuggled' out of India, leading me back to my original point of 'nothing better to do? or any other pressing issues?'

[Tony Joyce]

They raided Gibson in 2009 for the same thing. No charges have been filed yet! 2-3 years later!!