Thank you for contacting me about ivory sales.
Elephants are one of the world's most iconic and treasured species and ivory should never be seen as a commodity for financial gain or a status symbol.
The Ivory Act 2018 is one of the toughest bans on ivory in the world and I am aware that this ban came into force on 6 June 2022. It is now illegal to deal in items made of or containing elephant ivory unless they meet the criteria for one of five narrow exemptions. The Government launched the digital ivory service on 24 February 2022. This service allows people to register and certify exempted ivory items they would like to deal.
The Ivory Act showcases the UK as a global leader in animal conservation. If you break the law, you could be fined up to £250,000 or face up to five years’ imprisonment. The Act bans the dealing of items made of, or containing elephant ivory, regardless of their age, with five narrow and carefully defined exemptions: portrait miniatures; musical instruments; items with low ivory content; sales to qualifying museums; and rare or important items.
The ban also applies to importing to, or exporting from, the UK for the purposes of dealing. The ivory ban does not, however, affect the ownership of ivory items and I understand that Ministers have no plans for a Government surrender scheme.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.