US teenagers have bagpipes seized at Canada border after competition

[happyslug]

85. I believe the reference are to crossing when the USDA and USFWS keep agents.,

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) only keep agents at certain border crossing. These agencies, NOT customs, issue the regulations as to what can and can NOT be imported. These agencies also maintain the exemptions to any bans, including ivory made before the ban. In simple terms, if you want to avoid a problem go to a crossing which have agents from USDA and USFWS. Such agents, NOT custom agents, can determined that the Ivory is legal and leave you through. Custom Agents are trained to see Ivory and confiscate such ivory and hold the Ivory TILL THE IVORY CAN BE CONFIRMED BY THE USDA AND THE USFWS THAT IT IS EXEMPT IVORY.

In simple terms, if you have Ivory, go to a border crossing with USDA and USFWS Agents, who can confirm that the Ivory is exempt. At other crossing, Customs still must take the Ivory, and hold it till you can show that it is exempt (and that is by getting the paperwork from the USDA and USFWS which also often needs someone to visualize the ivory. Ivory does age, and attempts have been made to make new ivory look like old ivory. Custom Agents do NOT have the training to see the age of the Ivory, the USDA and USFWS agents DO get that training. Thus it is NOT only a review of paperwork, but a visual check to make sure it is the same ivory.

For more on how Muscians handle this situation see:

http://internationalmusician.org/getting-musical-instruments-across-borders/