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U.S. restricts importation of some Afghan archaeological, ethnological material
The United States has imposed restrictions on importation of certain categories of Afghan archaeological and ethnological material into the U.S., the State Department said on Tuesday.
“These import restrictions are intended to prevent illicitly trafficked materials from entering the U.S. art market, thus reducing the incentive for pillage of Afghanistan’s cultural heritage and combating profit from the sale of these cultural objects by terrorists and criminal organizations”, the State Department said in a statement.
Under the rules, for example, U.S. customs agents can seize any artifact on the list that doesn’t come with evidence that it was acquired lawfully prior to the implementation of the new restrictions. The agency would then likely defer to the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act, which requires the state to repatriate seized objects to their country of origin.