But currently, worked items produced before 1947 can be traded within Britain or other EU countries, as can items produced after 1947 that have government certificates.
Environment Secretary Michael Gove said the tougher restrictions, which follow a public consultation, would demonstrate Britain's belief that "the abhorrent ivory trade should become a thing of the past".
"Ivory should never be seen as a commodity for financial gain or a status symbol, so we will introduce one of the world's toughest bans on ivory sales to protect elephants for future generations," he said in a statement.
There will be exemptions for antique items that contain less than 10 percent ivory by volume, some old musical instruments, and the rarest and most important items of their type, including portrait miniatures painted on slivers of ivory.