That means that the consumers with the means to travel also have the most desire to keep buying elephant ivory. And their travel gives them access to ivory since some of the destinations most popular with Chinese travelers — Thailand, Laos, Hong Kong, Japan, and Vietnam — still have elephant ivory on the shelves.

What country buys most ivory?

Italy overtook Britain as the worlds largest single ivory seller in 2015, but the UK cumulatively consigned more ivory than the next four biggest exporting countries over the five-year period between 2010 and 2015.

Where is ivory being sold?

In the elephant ivory markets that remain open (either legally or due to lack of enforcement) in Asia—notably in Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam—over 90% of the customers are estimated to hail from China.

Who is buying most of the ivory?

China is by far the largest importer of this legalized ivory, however the United States, Canada, Germany, South Korea, Thailand, and Singapore also import mammoth ivory directly from Russia (page 21). However mammoth ivory has also been used as a cover to sell illicit elephant ivory in the United States.

Can I sell my ivory jewelry?

It remains legal to sell antique ivory within states, other than in California, New York, New Jersey, or Hawaii, which have passed state bans on the ivory trade. Owners may also offer to donate their ivory to a museum.

Is it illegal to buy ivory?

Ivory sales are also banned in several states, such as California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Washington and New York. Interstate sales of ivory items is also prohibited in the U.S. for sport trophies and ivory items that were brought into the U.S. as part of a scientific research project or law enforcement investigation.