The United States is one of over 115 states party to the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property* (“the Convention”).  The Department of State is responsible for administering the Convention by means of the enabling legislation entitled The Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act (“the Act”).  The Act allows the U.S. to consider requests from any state party to the Convention to impose import restrictions on archaeological or ethnological material when pillage of these materials places a nation's cultural heritage in jeopardy. (See the Act as Public Law 97-446*; or as 19 U.S.C. 2601 et seq.*)

Pursuant to the statutory process detailed in the Act, the Department receives foreign government requests for import restrictions.  These are reviewed by the Cultural Property Advisory Committee, which makes recommendations to the Department.  The Department may decide to enter into an agreement with a requesting country that not only imposes import restrictions, but also promotes international collaboration in developing sustainable safeguards for cultural heritage, and increased international access to it for cultural, educational, and scientific purposes.

The Bureau for Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) carries out the Department’s responsibilities under this Act, in consultation with the Department’s geographic bureaus and its Office of the Legal Adviser, and with the Department of Homeland Security (which has specific statutory responsibilities).  ECA’s Cultural Heritage Center provides technical and administrative support to the Cultural Property Advisory Committee. 

For further information: 

• Background on the Act, and how the U.S. implements the 1970 Convention.
• A guide to all import restrictions is available as a chronological chart* or a list.
• Country-specific pages (links on this page) contain information on and links to agreements, amendments, and categories of restricted materials.
• Illustrations of artifact categories subject to restrictions are provided in the Image Database.
• A separate State Department program handles requests for immunity from seizure for cultural materials being imported temporarily for exhibition.