AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
What AI agents can do in bookkeeping, close, collections and compliance today, where a person must stay in charge, and how to judge a product.
The short answer
Most Nigerian art and crafts made from cloth, metal, glass beads or ordinary wood enter the US as normal goods. Items containing any wildlife, such as ivory, horn, bone, skins, shells or feathers, must be declared to the US Fish and Wildlife Service on Form 3-177 through a designated port, and protected species need CITES permits. African elephant ivory is under a near-total commercial ban. Nigeria separately prohibits the export of antiquities and endangered wildlife products.
Most crafts are ordinary goods
A large share of what US-based Nigerians import to sell, such as adire and aso-oke textiles, brass and bronze castings made today, glass bead jewellery, leather from farmed animals and wood carvings, raises no wildlife issue. These enter as normal commercial imports through a customs broker, with duty, and in 2026 the additional 12.5% Section 301 duty on products of Nigeria from 24 July 2026 unless an annex exception applies. The problems start when an item contains wildlife, or when it is old enough to count as an antiquity in Nigeria.
Wildlife: what the Fish and Wildlife Service covers
The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) defines wildlife broadly: any wild animal, "whether alive or dead", including parts, products, eggs or offspring, whether or not bred in captivity. For crafts, that brings in:
- Ivory, bone and horn carvings.
- Items with animal skin, hide from wild species, or fur.
- Cowrie and other shells, and feathers, in jewellery or masks.
- Anything decorated with reptile skin, such as python or crocodile.
The FWS process
- Declare the wildlife on Form 3-177 through the FWS eDecs system.
- Import through an FWS designated port, unless you obtain a Designated Port Exception Permit before shipping.
- Commercial importers generally need an FWS import/export licence, applied for through eLicense.
- If the species is protected under CITES, the Endangered Species Act or other laws, obtain the permits first through ePermits.
The FWS page says first-time shippers should contact the nearest FWS Office of Law Enforcement. Other agencies, such as USDA, CDC and CBP, can also have a say, especially for raw animal products.
Ivory: a near-total ban
An FWS rule effective 6 July 2016 "prohibits most commerce" in African elephant ivory and substantially limits imports, exports and sales across state lines. The narrow exceptions cover certain pre-existing manufactured items containing less than 200 grams of ivory that meet other criteria, and antiques as defined under the Endangered Species Act. For a seller, the practical answer is not to buy ivory items in Nigeria for the US market. A carving sold in Lagos as "old ivory" is not a safe import.
Wood carvings and CITES
CITES lists some timber species as well as animals, so a carving in a protected hardwood can need permits. Ask the carver or supplier for the species of wood, and check it against the CITES lists before buying in volume. If you cannot identify the wood, treat a large order as a risk and seek advice from the FWS office.
Nigeria's side: antiquities and wildlife exports
The Nigeria Customs Service export prohibition list includes artifacts and antiquities, endangered wildlife and their products, raw hides and skins, and rough or sawn timber. Old masks, bronzes or figures presented as genuine antiques can therefore be illegal to take out of Nigeria, even if a US buyer is willing to pay. Buy contemporary work from living artists, keep the artist's or workshop's invoice showing the date made, and avoid anything sold as an ancient piece.
Worked example (illustration only)
Example: a Chicago gallery imports 40 contemporary bronze castings, 100 beaded necklaces and 20 masks with cowrie shell decoration. The bronzes and beads go through as normal goods. The masks contain shells, so the gallery's broker files Form 3-177 and routes the shipment through a designated port. Before shipping, the gallery confirms with the supplier that every piece is newly made and gets dated workshop invoices, so the export is not treated as antiquities.
Steps before you buy
- List every material in each item.
- Flag anything with ivory, bone, horn, skin, shell or feathers for FWS declaration.
- Never buy African elephant ivory for sale.
- Confirm items are newly made and keep dated invoices.
- Use a broker who files FWS declarations; see choosing a customs broker.
If goods are held
Wildlife items that arrive without a declaration, through a non-designated port, or without a required permit can be held by FWS and CBP. Respond quickly through your broker, keep the supplier's description of every material, and do not try to reship held goods through another route. The cheapest fix is always before shipping: remove any item whose materials you cannot document.
Keep a file for each shipment with photographs of every item, the materials list, the workshop invoices and the FWS declaration number. If a buyer later asks whether a piece is legal to own or resell across state lines, that file is your answer.
Where Pryme fits
Artists and workshops in Nigeria are usually paid in naira. A Pryme Business Account opened from the US holds NGN and USD with local details; bulk payouts pay several makers at once, and verifiable receipts give you dated payment records to sit alongside the workshop invoices.
Questions people ask
Do I need a permit to import Nigerian wood carvings?
Not usually, unless the wood is a CITES-listed species or the carving includes wildlife parts. Check the species before buying in volume.
Can I import ivory carvings from Nigeria?
Almost certainly not for sale. A 2016 FWS rule prohibits most commerce in African elephant ivory, with narrow exceptions.
Do cowrie shell items need to be declared?
Wildlife includes parts and products of wild animals, so shell items can need declaration on Form 3-177. Ask the FWS office or your broker.
Can I export antique masks from Nigeria?
Nigeria Customs lists artifacts and antiquities on its export prohibition list. Buy contemporary work with dated invoices instead.
Sources
- USFWS Office of Law Enforcement: Information for importers and exporters (undated) · accessed Oct 2026
- USFWS: Near-total ban on commercial trade in African elephant ivory (press release, 2 Jun 2016) · accessed Oct 2026
- Nigeria Customs Service: Export prohibition list (undated) · accessed Oct 2026
- Federal Register: Notice of actions in Section 301 investigations of various economies (28 Jul 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.