In a recently posted Public Bulletin, the Fish and Wildlife Service advised that as of January 2, 2017, U.S. importers and exporters will have to deal with changes to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) listings and other import and export requirements affecting certain species, including some rosewoods*. As of Jan. 2, species added to, or deleted from, CITES Appendices I and II at the recent CITES convention will require CITES documentation per the amended listings, FWS said. The import, export or re-export of shipments of these species that are accompanied by CITES documents reflecting an old listing or that lack CITES documents because no listing was previously in effect “must be completed by midnight (local time at the point of import/export)” on Jan. 1, 2017, according to the FWS.
The Bulletin includes the listings of species: newly added to Appendices I and II; transferred between the two lists; and, removed from the lists. CITES also recently issued a report detailing all the changes. The action being taken is listed as follows:
ACTION: Except as noted below, the amendments to CITES Appendices I and II that were adopted at CoP 17, will be effective on January 2, 2017. Any specimens of these species imported into, or exported from, the United States on or after January 2, 2017 will require CITES documentation as specified under the amended listings.
The import, export, or re-export of shipments of these species that are accompanied by CITES documents reflecting a pre-January 2 listing status or that lack CITES documents because no listing was previously in effect must be completed by midnight (local time at the point of import/export) on January 1, 2017.
Importers and exporters can find the official revised CITES appendices on the CITES website.
As a result of the same CITES changes, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services has also posted notice of New CITES Requirements for Rosewoods to Take Effect January 2, 2017:
Beginning January 2, 2017, wood and wood products of rosewoods and palisanders (Dalbergia spp), bubingas (Guibourtia spp), and kosso or African rosewood (Pterocarpus erinaceus) must be accompanied by a CITES permit issued by the CITES Management Authority of the country of export or re-export. Shipments arriving in the destination country on or after January 2, 2017, without the required CITES documents may be held and seized or refused clearance.
Shippers who have CITES-listed rosewood shipments that are already in route and will arrive in the destination country on or after January 2, 2017, should contact their CITES Management Authority (the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the United States) to determine whether retrospectively issued documents may be issued by the exporting/re-exporting country and accepted by the importing country.
As a reminder, shipments that contain only CITES-listed plants and plant material must be imported and exported through a designated port.
