Is rosewood illegal in Australia?
Mia Phillips
Updated on May 02, 2026
If you are importing rosewood harvested after the listing date (2 January 2017), you will require a CITES (re) export permit from the exporting country and an Australian CITES import permit. These are valid for 6 months and can be issued for a single use import or for multiple imports.
Is rosewood illegal to own?
No, it is not illegal to buy or ship rosewood across international borders. However, specific regulations and laws must be followed to purchase or ship rosewood. To successfully import rosewood into the U.S., you will need an export certificate from the exporting country's CITES management authority.Why is rosewood illegal?
In January of 2017, the CITES convention (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) in Geneva, Switzerland passed a ban on the use of rosewood and Bubinga as tonewoods, making it more difficult to ship or travel with musical instruments made with any amount of these endangered ...Is rosewood illegal for guitars?
According to media reports, trading restrictions on rosewood have been revised by the relevant CITES committee allowing all 'finished' instruments with rosewood, all their parts and spares, to be traded freely.Can rosewood be sold?
Selling Brazilian RosewoodAs can be seen in the article, most guitars made with Dalbergia Nigra can be sold, as long as they are sold with the correct documentation, where required. There are certain dates to take into account. – All instruments built before 3rd March 1947 are considered antique and are not affected.
Madagascar Seeks to Sell Seized Stockpiles of Illegal Rosewood
How much is rosewood worth?
Rosewood fetches in excess of USD$17,000 per ton but Zambia is failing to benefit, here's why. Rosewood is popular in China for 'hongmu' – antique furniture. Rosewood is the generic name for several dark-red hardwood species found in tropical regions across the globe.What type of rosewood is banned?
In 2013, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) listed all types of Madagascar rosewood as Appendix II, prohibiting their trade except in the rare cases in which a local CITES authority has issued sustainability permits.Are rosewood fretboards banned?
Guitar manufacturers (and anyone) were banned from using it, unless they could prove it had been exported prior to the 1992 CITES treaty decision. Since that time, manufacturers have searched for alternatives, not only to Brazilian rosewood, but to rosewood in general.Can you import rosewood?
To import rosewood into the United States, you need to have an export certificate from the “CITES Management Authority” in the exporting country, and then have your import cleared by U.S. Customs, which uses guidelines developed from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.Is rosewood still endangered?
Status as an endangered speciesRosewood is now protected worldwide.