What is CITES
CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an agreement between governments to ensure that international trade in wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.
It regulates more than 40,000 species of animals and plants, and products made from them, according to their level of protection, from living specimens to timber, leather, medicinal materials and souvenirs. Each party to the convention must have national laws to enforce it. Korea joined in 1993.
- Adopted
- March 3, 1973, Washington, D.C., USA (meeting of representatives of 80 countries)
- Entered into force
- July 1, 1975
- Origin
- Resolution adopted at a 1963 meeting of members of the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)
- Parties
- About 180 countries
- Official texts
- English · French · Spanish
The appendices and agarwood
CITES divides species into three appendices according to how much protection they need. The genus Aquilaria, to which agarwood trees belong, is listed in Appendix II.
| Appendix | Covers | Trade conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Ⅰ | Species threatened with extinction | Commercial trade prohibited in principle; permits required from both exporting and importing countries |
| Ⅱ | Species not currently threatened with extinction but that may become so unless trade is regulated | CITES export permit from the exporting country required |
| Ⅲ | Species that a party has asked others to help protect within its borders | Permit or certificate of origin from the country concerned |
Medicinal plants requiring import/export permits in Korea (excerpt)
| Item | Botanical name | Appendix | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agarwood (沈香) | Aquilaria agallocha | Ⅱ | = Aquilaria malaccensis |
| Costus root (木香) | Aucklandia lappa | Ⅰ | = Saussurea costus |
| Red sandalwood (紫檀香) | Pterocarpus santalinus | Ⅱ | |
| Gastrodia tuber (天麻) | Gastrodia elata | Ⅱ | |
| Dendrobium (石斛) | Dendrobium nobile | Ⅱ | |
| Aloe (蘆薈) | Aloe ferox | Ⅱ | and other species |
| Ginseng (人蔘) | Panax ginseng | Ⅱ | Russian population |
Source: Korea Ministry of Environment, items requiring import/export permits for internationally endangered species
How agarwood reaches Korea
- 01
CITES permit from the exporting country
The Vietnam CITES Management Authority confirms that the agarwood was legally produced and issues an export permit.
- 02
Korean import permit
Bringing internationally endangered species into Korea requires an import permit under the Wildlife Protection and Management Act.
- 03
Food import declaration
When used as a food ingredient, it is declared for import to the Korea Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) and inspected.
Daeracheon's CITES permits
Daeracheon Agarwood keeps a production history for the raw material it grows itself, and has been issued the CITES permits required for export. A copy of the permit can be found under Certificates.