Is ivory illegal in the us?

On July 6, 2016, a near-total ban on commercial trade in African elephant ivory went into effect in the United States. We’ve implemented this near-total ban to ensure that U.S. domestic markets do not contribute to the decline of elephants in the wild. Learn more.

Is it illegal to have ivory?

A year after proposing a near-total ban on sales of products containing African elephant ivory, the Obama administration made the rule final Thursday, ending a trade as old as the United States. Selling ivory is now prohibited, with few exceptions, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe said Wednesday.

Is international trade in ivory banned?

International trade in elephant ivory is banned. The ban was introduced in 1975 for Asian elephants and 1989 for African elephants as a result of unsustainable elephant poaching in the 1970s and 80s.

Why was the ivory trade banned?

International trade in Asian elephant ivory was banned in 1975 when the Asian elephant was placed on Appendix One of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Decisions by CITES on ivory trade affect Asian elephants.

Can you sell ivory on Craigslist?

Craigslist did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Ivory sales are illegal under federal law, with the exception of antique items that were originally imported prior to 1990 (and which must carry documentation of their antique status).

Can I sell old ivory?

It is now illegal to sell or have the intent to sell ANY IVORY within the State of California or to sell it to any bidders within the State of California REGARDLESS OF THE AGE of the ivory.

Was the ivory ban successful?

A number of African governments reported that the ban had been a tremendous success. However, CITES approved a one-off sale of 49.4 metric tons of stockpiled ivory from Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe to Japan in 1999. During the same period, 1,059 or more African elephants were found dead, killed for their tusks.

How much is an ounce of ivory worth?

At $200 an ounce, a conservative evaluation of the trade in illegal ivory comes in around $1.44 billion a year—enough to motivate some people to kill.