Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Revised MOU Confirms Restrictions Wrongly Placed on Coins?

The CPIA, 19 U.S.C. Section 2602 (a) (1) (C) (ii) limits restrictions only to circumstances where less drastic remedies are unavailable.

Testimony during CPAC’s public session to discuss a renewal of the MOU with Cyprus established that the use of metal detectors was responsible for any looting of historical coins from the Island.

Yet, after 5 years of restrictions on “coins of Cypriot type” the renewed MOU available under "What's New"  on the Cultural Heritage Center webstite states,

"The Government of the Republic of Cyprus will use its best efforts to enforce applicable laws and regulations regarding the use of metal detectors."

Isn’t this an admission that self-help measures on metal detectors were never really tried FIRST before import restrictions were placed on coins?

And if so, doesn’t this just help confirm that the State Department’s and CBP’s controversial decision to impose import restrictions on coins was based not on an application of the law to the facts but rather on cronyism and some behind the scenes lobbying of then Undersecretary Nicholas Burns?

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