The CoP20 of CITES, which met in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from 24 November to 5 December 2025 with representatives from 180 nations, has made a decision that will change the future international use of Pernambuco (Paubrasilia echinata), a wood species widely used until now for crafting bows for violins, violas, cellos and double basses.

“The new trade requirements will have implications for makers, shops and musicians,” said attorney John Bennett, who led the negotiations on behalf of the Alliance of Violin and Bow Makers for Endangered Species.

Pernambuco wood will not be banned, but its use and circulation will be more tightly regulated by CITES (the Washington Convention) to ensure better conservation. Although there were concerns and attempts to tighten restrictions — such as the proposal to list the species under Appendix I, which did not pass in 2022 nor in 2025 — Pernambuco remains in Appendix II, which still allows controlled trade and musical use.

Starting in March 2026, bows for string instruments made of Pernambuco will be subject to new rules: international sales of existing bows and newly made ones will require specific permits to prove that the wood was harvested before the species was first included in CITES in 2007. Musicians traveling with their personal bows will largely be exempt from the requirement to produce CITES permits, but only for purposes such as concerts, repairs and other activities that do not involve a transfer of ownership of goods made with Pernambuco.

Furthermore, it was agreed that governments and stakeholders in the musical instrument sector will cooperate in taking actions to strengthen legal compliance, develop a system for identifying wood and the bows in circulation, and support a more sustainable future for the species Paubrasilia echinata.