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U.K. is Top Source Nation in 2013 for U.S. Imports of Archaeological, Historical, and Ethnological Goods

ByRick St. Hilaire
Switzerland in 2012 was the #1 source of archaeological, historical, and ethnological material imported into the United States. But U.S. import values from that country fell by 99.8%, leaving the former second place finisher, the United Kingdom, to take the top spot in 2013 as measured by declared customs values of consumable goods.

Data compiled from tariff and trade information supplied by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission reveal this latest picture of imports classified by Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) commodity code 9705.00.0070.

The overall total customs value of archaeological, historical, or ethnological goods imported into the U.S. in 2013 amounted to a declared value of $45,647,923, an increase of 22% from 2012. 

Imports received from the U.K. jumped nearly 54%, totaling $11,451,019. And the U.K. and Egypt together made up nearly half of the $45 million of American imports.

Import values from Egypt skyrocketed 105% at a time of political instability and upheaval. There is a Red List covering cultural heritage from that nation.

Photo credit: Athewma

Israel, which has a legally regulated antiquities market, saw its U.S. import values climb 97%.

India, a source of highly prized artifacts among American collectors, saw a jump of 3805% in its U.S. import values.

Mali, once on the top 20 list of source countries, experienced a 79% collapse in 2013 after the White House, in September 2012, extended import restrictions on endangered Malian cultural heritage. Conakry Terminal on the port city of neighboring Guinea, meanwhile, continues to grow. And in 2013, American archaeological, historical, or ethnological imports from Guinea totaled $347,100, up from $0 the previous year.

Imports from war-torn Syria spiked 1375%. A Red List for threatened cultural heritage is in effect.

The top 20 source countries in 2013 by customs value for archaeological, historical, or ethnological goods were, in descending order, U.K., Egypt, Italy, Democratic Republic of Congo, Germany, Greece, France, Israel, Australia, India, Gabon, Congo, Argentina, Denmark, Norway, Japan, Canada, Guinea, Lebanon, and Spain.

The full list of HTS 9705.00.0070 data is reproduced in the table below. More 2012 data is found here.


HTS Number Country 2012 2013 Percent Change
2012 – 2013
In Actual Dollars
9705000070 United Kingdom 7,446,021 11,451,019 53.8%
9705000070 Egypt 5,186,166 10,655,752 105.5%
9705000070 Italy 4,189,800 3,972,732 -5.2%
9705000070 Congo (DROC) 0 3,465,671 N/A
9705000070 Germany 1,826,463 2,052,398 12.4%
9705000070 Greece 928,254 1,801,489 94.1%
9705000070 France 1,694,952 1,250,293 -26.2%
9705000070 Israel 598,212 1,178,980 97.1%
9705000070 Australia 100,768 1,080,405 972.2%
9705000070 India 26,958 1,052,933 3,805.8%
9705000070 Gabon 0 941,213 N/A
9705000070 Congo (ROC) 519,087 906,600 74.7%
9705000070 Argentina 0 759,100 N/A
9705000070 Denmark 31,771 725,025 2,182.0%
9705000070 Norway 0 513,717 N/A
9705000070 Japan 14,909 401,146 2,590.6%
9705000070 Canada 268,177 385,249 43.7%
9705000070 Guinea 0 347,100 N/A
9705000070 Lebanon 6,546 300,000 4,483.0%
9705000070 Spain 3,494,617 242,406 -93.1%
9705000070 Morocco 182,020 219,148 20.4%
9705000070 Austria 119,628 176,227 47.3%
9705000070 Madagascar 16,360 169,900 938.5%
9705000070 Turkey 399,462 147,669 -63.0%
9705000070 Indonesia 14,631 136,714 834.4%
9705000070 Papua New Guin 46,648 135,924 191.4%
9705000070 Costa Rica 0 135,867 N/A
9705000070 Russia 32,599 134,972 314.0%
9705000070 Finland 0 120,101 N/A
9705000070 Syria 6,870 101,349 1,375.2%
9705000070 Netherlands 30,632 78,996 157.9%
9705000070 Sweden 81,865 77,937 -4.8%
9705000070 Nigeria 7,500 73,203 876.0%
9705000070 Mali 254,207 53,128 -79.1%
9705000070 China 59,219 42,288 -28.6%
9705000070 Ghana 20,080 36,463 81.6%
9705000070 Uruguay 0 33,539 N/A
9705000070 Burkina Faso 0 33,205 N/A
9705000070 Bulgaria 18,000 31,379 74.3%
9705000070 Belgium 21,686 25,036 15.4%
9705000070 South Africa 54,816 23,764 -56.6%
9705000070 Ireland 32,363 22,790 -29.6%
9705000070 Ukraine 170,670 21,257 -87.5%
9705000070 Switzerland 8,710,037 20,870 -99.8%
9705000070 Taiwan 0 20,000 N/A
9705000070 Saudi Arabia 0 19,540 N/A
9705000070 Poland 21,379 11,575 -45.9%
9705000070 Solomon Is 0 11,500 N/A
9705000070 Brazil 3,000 10,000 233.3%
9705000070 Uzbekistan 3,000 8,793 193.1%
9705000070 Jordan 4,600 8,000 73.9%
9705000070 Colombia 0 6,127 N/A
9705000070 Romania 5,500 5,500 0.0%
9705000070 Togo 0 4,730 N/A
9705000070 Iceland 0 3,704 N/A
9705000070 Chile 3,500 3,500 0.0%
9705000070 Thailand 10,221 0 -100.0%
9705000070 Mauritania 7,425 0 -100.0%
9705000070 Albania 2,070 0 -100.0%
9705000070 Korea 202,730 0 -100.0%
9705000070 Serbia 2,575 0 -100.0%
9705000070 Algeria 13,152 0 -100.0%
9705000070 Singapore 49,200 0 -100.0%
9705000070 Malaysia 7,794 0 -100.0%
9705000070 Macedonia 42,800 0 -100.0%
9705000070 Niger 6,992 0 -100.0%
9705000070 New Zealand 168,454 0 -100.0%
9705000070 Czech Republic 3,730 0 -100.0%
9705000070 Philippines 22,465 0 -100.0%
9705000070 Cameroon 9,022 0 -100.0%
9705000070 Senegal 3,207 0 -100.0%
9705000070 Mexico 19,380 0 -100.0%
9705000070 Peru 59,014 0 -100.0%
9705000070 New Caledonia 3,750 0 -100.0%
9705000070 Portugal 18,655 0 -100.0%
9705000070 Burundi 14,500 0 -100.0%
9705000070 Pakistan 25,228 0 -100.0%
9705000070 Afghanistan 5,699 0 -100.0%
9705000070 Fr Polynesia 2,500 0 -100.0%
9705000070 Montenegro 25,000 0 -100.0%
Total 37,378,536 45,647,923 22.1%

The numbers posted here do not document the broader category of “collections and collectors’ pieces of zoological, botanical, mineralogical, anatomical, historical, archeological, paleontological, ethnographic or numismatic interest” classified by HTS 9705.  The statistics posted are only those covering  HTS 9705’s subcategory of archaeological, historical, and ethnological material under HTS 9705.00.0070. Note too that HTS 9705 excludes “antiques” over 100 years old (e.g., silverware and furniture), which are classified elsewhere by HTS 9706.

By Rick St. Hilaire Text copyrighted 2010-2014 by Ricardo A. St. Hilaire, Attorney & Counselor at Law, PLLC. Blog url: culturalheritagelawyer.blogspot.com. Any unauthorized reproduction or retransmission of this post is prohibited. CONTACT INFORMATION: www.culturalheritagelawyer.com

©2010-2022 Cultural Heritage Lawyer Rick St. Hilaire. Content discussing cultural heritage law, art law, looted antiquities, stolen artifacts, and museum risk management that is general information only, not legal advice.

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