U.S. Issues Import Restrictions on Mayan Cultural Property from Belize After Concluding a Bilateral Cooperation Agreement

 

                On March 5, 2013, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Department of Homeland Security, issued a final rule amending the CBP regulations imposing import restrictions on certain archaeological material (e.g., pre-Colombian material) from Belize.  The CBP is issuing the restrictions pursuant to an agreement concluded on February 27, 2013 between the U.S. and Belize[1], which was concluded under the authority of the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act in accordance with the 1970 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property.[2] The final rule adds Belize to the list of countries for which a bilateral agreement has been concluded to impose cultural property import restrictions.  The final rule also has the designated list that describes the types of archaeological material to which the restrictions apply.[3]