Of Particular Import

New U.S. Customs regulations on Chinese antiquities require case-by-case consideration.

Our father used to say that people usually worry about the wrong things in life — so, to be safe, we advise our clients to worry about everything.

This turns out to be especially good advice for collectors of Chinese antiquities, who are now faced with controversial new U.S. Customs and Border Protection regulations ostensibly intended to curtail the looting of Chinese cultural patrimony. Our concern here: In trying to curb the illicit trade in Chinese artifacts — clearly a laudable goal — the U.S. government has inadvertently created a minefield for legitimate collectors, dealers and scholars. Continue reading “Of Particular Import”