New York City cracks down on ivory trade

Global Business

New York City cracks down on ivory trade

New York City a major hub in the ivory trade, is using the law to crack down on the controversial practice.

CGTN’s Karina Huber reports.

The worry about smuggled ivory is that it’s often made of new ivory. Ivory that is fueling the poaching of elephants in Africa right now. Ivory prices range from a few hundred dollars to much more than that.

Much of that ivory comes to New York, because it’s one of the largest ports of entry to the United States.It’s also home to many wealthy individuals who tend to be the biggest buyers of ivory.

The owners of Metropolitan Antique shop in Manhattan’s were busted in September 2016 for allegedly selling ivory without a license.

It is illegal to sell ivory in New York without a license and since 2014 it has become virtually impossible to get one. A federal law enacted in 2016 also bans commercial trade in ivory.

Manhattan’s district attorney said it is the largest ivory seizure in New York State’s history.

A new report shows that at least 20,000 elephants were killed by poachers in 2015 and there are now more elephants killed for ivory than there are elephants born.