US import restrictions: the designated lists

Under the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act the United States bars the import of designated archaeological and, where stated, ethnological material from each state party below unless it is accompanied by the source country's export certificate or by documentation that it left that country before the restriction took effect. The designated lists are published as CBP decisions and codified at 19 CFR 12.104g; restrictions run five years and are extended, so the year shown is the first restriction, which is the date a seller must document against. Import restrictions apply at the border: they do not make domestic resale of material lawfully in the United States unlawful, but they are what a buyer abroad — and any serious buyer at home — will ask a seller to satisfy.

Agreements in force (33): Albania — archaeological material 300000 BCE – 1750 CE; ethnological material c. AD 400–1913; coins named (CBP Dec. 22-06; restricted since 2022). Algeria — archaeological material 2500000 BCE – 1750 CE; coins named (CBP Dec. 19-09; extended CBP Dec. 24-13; restricted since 2019). Belize — archaeological material 9000 BCE – 1750 CE; colonial-period material (CBP Dec. 13-05; extended CBP Dec. 23-02; restricted since 2013). Bolivia — archaeological material 10000 BCE – 1900 CE; ethnological material (T.D. 01-86; extended CBP Dec. 21-18; restricted since 2001). Bulgaria — archaeological material 1600000 BCE – 1750 CE; ecclesiastical ethnological material 4th c. AD–c. 1900; coins named (CBP Dec. 24-02; restricted since 2014). Cambodia — archaeological material 2500 BCE – 1750 CE; ethnological material c. AD 1400–1891 (CBP Dec. 23-11; restricted since 1999). Canada — archaeological material 12000 BCE – 1800 CE; ethnological material culture of Canadian origin (T.D. 97-31; restricted since 1997). Chile — archaeological material 31000 BCE – 1868 CE (CBP Dec. 20-16; extended CBP Dec. 25-14; restricted since 2020). China — archaeological material 75000 BCE – 907 CE; monumental sculpture and wall art at least 250 years old; coins named (CBP Dec. 19-02; extended CBP Dec. 24-01; restricted since 2009). Colombia — archaeological material 1500 BCE – 1530 CE; ecclesiastical ethnological material c. 1530–1830 (CBP Dec. 06-09; extended CBP Dec. 26-05; restricted since 2006). Costa Rica — archaeological material 12000 BCE – 1550 CE (CBP Dec. 21-06; extended CBP Dec. 26-03; restricted since 2021). Cyprus — archaeological material 11000 BCE – 1770 CE; ethnological material c. 4th c. AD–1878; coins named (CBP Dec. 22-15; restricted since 1999). Ecuador — archaeological material 12000 BCE – 1769 CE; colonial ecclesiastical items and paintings 1532–1822 (CBP Dec. 20-03; corrected 24-10; extended 25-03; restricted since 2020). Egypt — archaeological material 300000 BCE – 1750 CE; ethnological material 1517–1914; coins named (CBP Dec. 21-17; restricted since 2016). El Salvador — archaeological material 8000 BCE – 1550 CE; ecclesiastical ethnological material c. 1525–1950 (CBP Dec. 20-04; extended CBP Dec. 25-01; restricted since 1987). Greece — archaeological material 3000 BCE – 1500 CE; ecclesiastical ethnological material AD 324–1830; coins named (CBP Dec. 21-16; restricted since 2011). Guatemala — archaeological material 12000 BCE – 1524 CE; Hispanic-period ecclesiastical material c. 1524–1821 (CBP Dec. 12-17; extended CBP Dec. 22-24; restricted since 1997). Honduras — archaeological material 1200 BCE – 1500 CE; colonial ecclesiastical material c. 1502–1821 (CBP Dec. 14-03; extended CBP Dec. 24-06; restricted since 2004). India — archaeological material 1700000 BCE – 1770 CE; ethnological material c. 2nd c. BCE–1947; coins named (CBP Dec. 25-09; restricted since 2025). Italy — archaeological material 900 BCE – 400 CE; coins named (CBP Dec. 11-03; extended CBP Dec. 26-01; restricted since 2001). Jordan — archaeological material 1500000 BCE – 1750 CE; coins named (CBP Dec. 20-02; extended CBP Dec. 25-02; restricted since 2020). Libya — archaeological material 12000 BCE – 1911 CE; ethnological material of Libya; coins named (CBP Dec. 23-03; restricted since 2018). Mali — archaeological material 2500000 BCE – 1750 CE; ethnological material 12th–20th c. (CBP Dec. 22-23; restricted since 1993). Morocco — archaeological material 1000000 BCE – 1750 CE; ethnological material c. 1549–1912; coins named (CBP Dec. 26-02; restricted since 2021). Nepal — archaeological material 32000 BCE – 1770 CE; ethnological material 13th c.–1950 (CBP Dec. 26-16; restricted since 2026). Nicaragua — archaeological material 8000 BCE – 1500 CE (T.D. 00-75; extended CBP Dec. 15-13; restricted since 2000). Nigeria — archaeological material 1500 BCE – 1770 CE; ethnological material c. AD 200–early 20th c. (CBP Dec. 22-05; restricted since 2022). Pakistan — archaeological material 2000000 BCE – 1750 CE; ethnological material c. AD 800–1849; coins named (CBP Dec. 24-09; restricted since 2024). Peru — archaeological material 12000 BCE – 1532 CE; ethnological material c. 1532–1821 (CBP Dec. 23-10; restricted since 1990). Tunisia — archaeological material 200000 BCE – 1750 CE; ethnological material c. 1574–1881; coins named (CBP Dec. 24-12; restricted since 2024). Türkiye — archaeological material 1200000 BCE – 1770 CE; ethnological material 1st c. AD–1923; coins named (CBP Dec. 21-09; extended CBP Dec. 26-06; restricted since 2021). Uzbekistan — archaeological material 50000 BCE – 1773 CE; ethnological material c. AD 600–1917; coins named (CBP Dec. 25-04; restricted since 2025). Yemen — archaeological material 200000 BCE – 1773 CE; ethnological material c. 1517–1918; coins named (CBP Dec. 24-15; restricted since 2020).

Emergency actions and separate statutes (5): Afghanistan — archaeological material 50000 BCE – 1747 CE; ethnological material 9th c.–1920; coins named (CBP Dec. 22-04; extended CBP Dec. 26-09; restricted since 2022). Iraq — archaeological material 100000 BCE – 1900 CE; archaeological and ethnological material removed from Iraq since UNSCR 661 (6 August 1990); coins named (CBP Dec. 08-17; restricted since 1990). Lebanon — archaeological material 700000 BCE – 1774 CE; ethnological material c. 1600–1918; coins named (CBP Dec. 25-05; restricted since 2025). Syria — archaeological material 100000 BCE – 1900 CE; archaeological and ethnological material removed from Syria since 15 March 2011; coins named (CBP Dec. 16-10; restricted since 2011). Ukraine — archaeological material 1400000 BCE – 1774 CE; ethnological material c. AD 200–1917; coins named (CBP Dec. 24-16; restricted since 2024).

Separately, the Pre-Columbian Monumental or Architectural Sculpture or Murals statute (19 U.S.C. 2091–2095 (Pre-Columbian Monumental or Architectural Sculpture or Murals statute, 1972)) has required a source-country export certificate since 1973 for stelae, altars, architectural elements, carved lintels and capstones, murals and wall art from Bolivia, Belize, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Venezuela. Mexico is not on the CPIA list; its material is reached this way, by the 1970 US–Mexico treaty on stolen archaeological property, and by the McClain doctrine under the National Stolen Property Act.

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Cite this article

Stratum Strata. "US import restrictions: the designated lists" (Law & ethics). Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-20. https://stratum.black/strata/law/archaeology-cpia. Accessed 2026-09-21.

BibTeX · CSL-JSON

@misc{stratum-archaeology-cpia,
  title        = {US import restrictions: the designated lists},
  author       = {{Stratum Strata}},
  howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/strata/law/archaeology-cpia}},
  year         = {2026},
  note         = {Law & ethics article, Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-20; sources: stratum. Accessed 2026-09-21.}
}

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