my shipping company has advised me i need a cites certificate for grandads ivory carving. ive looked at the website but theres no "heres what you do" section! anyone needed to import ivory and done this?

(would prefer to avoid ethical discussion about owning a piece of ivory, i dont approve and would never buy ivory, but dh's granded bought it back - legally - from india about 90 years ago, so its an heirloom)

thanks in advance,

This might help.

http://animalhealth.defra.gov.uk/CITES/index.htm

This whole CITES thing can be a headache. Doesnt it cover exotic hardwoods too.. I hear musicians have had guitars with hardwood fretboards or ivory inlays confiscated etc

Check the CBSA website, search under Antique+Ivory or Collectibles. You could also contact a customs broker, which one depends on your POE.

If you need a CITES permit, you'll require one for export and for import, so one for the country you're leaving and one for entering. And one for any stops along the way if you plan on going through customs, say for a long stopover. I was bringing legally-given golden eagle feathers (elders in the community gave them to me) from Canada to Australia. I stopped in NZ and would have required a third CITES permit if I left the airport (either that or surrender them to customs for "keeping," which I could not do as per cultural protocol).

It also takes a couple of months. From what I recall (this was two years ago) I needed to get the export one first and then send a copy to the country of import for them to issue the import permit (which they kept on file at my port of entry). I recall with amusement, all jet-lagged and exhausted, standing there while six customs workers circled around because they all wanted to have a look at the feathers.

I'm not sure if there's any issues with ivory in particular, so you'll have to talk to the officials about it.

Thanks guys will call them Monday to get licence started.