Pernambuco Bows to Remain on Appendix II

Earlier this year we advised members that Brazilian authorities had submitted a proposal to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to move pernambuco (pau-brasil) from Appendix II to Appendix I.

If adopted, it would have amounted to a near-total ban on international trade in this critically important wood — the material of choice for crafting professional-quality bows for string instruments — and would have had devastating consequences for musicians, bow makers, orchestras, and ensembles around the world.

We are now pleased to report that, on 5 December, an agreement was reached at the CITES Conference of the Parties in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, for pernambuco to remain on Appendix II.

The success comes after sustained lobbying by the MU and partner organisations

This is, on the face of it, very good news for musicians; however, the previous annotation agreed in 2022 has been amended.

The MU, alongside the Independent Society of Musicians, the Association of British Orchestras, and UK Music, lobbied the UK Government to take a stance against the Brazilian proposal and maintain the listing on Appendix II.

The UK team in Uzbekistan, together with Heather Noonan from the League of American Orchestras, worked hard to find a solution that would allow musicians to continue travelling and working with their bows without the need for additional permits or Musical Instrument Certificates (MIC). At the same time, further protections for the species were put in place.

Outcome of the agreement 

• CITES permits will not be required for most travel.

​Finished musical instruments, finished musical instrument accessories and finished musical instrument parts will not require CITES permits for non-commercial travel when crossing international borders for paid and unpaid performances, personal use, display, loan, competition, teaching, appraisal, or repair. The permit exemption only applies when the item will not change ownership and will not be sold, transferred, or disposed outside the owner’s usual country of residence.

• CITES permits will be required for international commerce in items.

​ The last sentence in the annotation includes a zero-export quota for all trade in wild-sourced specimens for commercial use. This means that wood harvested in Brazil after September 13, 2007, when the species was first protected by CITES, may not be commercially traded across international borders.

If it can be proven that the material in the item was made from wood harvested from the wild before September 13, 2007, CITES permits may be issued to allow for international commerce. This is what CITES calls ‘re-export,’ i.e., crossing a border after the material has first left the country in which the wood was harvested.

The new requirements only apply to international commerce. Wood harvested after September 2007 can still be turned into finished products. Finished products made of wood harvested after September 2007 can still be traded and used domestically, and they can be transported without permits under the exemption for non-commercial travel. It is believed that few bows would have been made from wood harvested after 2007, unless the wood had been exported from Brazil with a CITES permit. This provision, however, means that musicians that may have difficulty immediately documenting the origin of the wood in their bow can travel with confidence.

“This is good news and provides peace of mind for musicians”

Further work in 2026 is expected to take place around conservation measures and a revised ‘Know Your Bow’ document will be produced.

Any decisions made by the CoP20 will come into force 90 days following the conference, so we can expect any enforcement measure to become active March 2026.

Dave Webster, MU Head of International says: “This is good news and provides peace of mind for musicians. Our gratitude goes to The League of American Orchestras, DEFRA and APHA and the negotiating team, all of whom who fought hard to protect musicians and their instruments”.