Beginning July 1, 2009, imported musical instruments containing wood or other plant material will need to be accompanied by an import declaration disclosing the scientific name of the wood or plant (including genus and species), the country of origin of the plant material, the quantity of the plant and the value of the product.
The new requirement was contained in an amendment to the federal Lacey Act making it illegal to import or possess any wood or plant product (with some limited exceptions) that is taken or harvested in violation of the laws of the country of origin. The ame
