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15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties
Trade suspensions
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Second meeting of the CITES Enforcement Expert Group

Countries currently subject to a recommendation to suspend trade

As CITES uses trade measures for its implementation, one recommendation for improving the effectiveness of the Convention is a temporary suspension of trade. Recommendations to suspend trade in specimens of CITES-listed species are made by the Conference of the Parties and the Standing Committee. A recommendation to suspend trade provides a period of time during which the relevant country can move from non-compliance to compliance by inter alia making progress in the enactment of adequate legislation, combating and reducing illegal trade, submitting missing annual reports or responding to specific recommendations of the Standing Committee concerning the implementation of Article IV of the Convention in the context of the Review of Significant Trade. Recommendations to suspend trade are withdrawn immediately upon a country’s return to compliance.

At the request of CITES Parties and to assist implementation of the Convention, the Secretariat has developed a table of recommendations to suspend trade that are currently in force. The table shows the country affected by the recommendation, the Notification to the Parties containing the recommendation, the basis for the recommendation and scope of trade involved in the recommendation. Where appropriate, explanatory comments are provided.

(Last update: 20.02.2009)

Country

Notification

Basis

Scope

Valid from

Armenia

No. 2009/003 (3 February 2009)

Significant trade

Falco cherrug

22 January 2007

Bahrain (non-party)

No. 2009/003 (3 February 2009)

Significant trade

Falco cherrug

22 January 2007

Comoros No. 2009/003 (3 February 2009) Significant trade Phelsuma comorensis; Phelsuma v-nigra
22 August 2008

Democratic Republic of Congo

No. 2009/003 (3 February 2009)

Significant trade

Poicephalus robustus;
Stigmochelys (
formerly Geochelone) pardalis

9 July 2001
Prunus africana 3 February 2009

Djibouti

No. 2006/073 (14 Dec 2006)

National legislation

All commercial trade

30 April 2004
Equatorial Guinea No. 2009/003 (3 February 2009) Significant trade Psittacus erithacus 22 August 2008
      Prunus africana 3 February 2009

Gabon

No. 2008/041 (7 Jul 2008)

Ivory action plan

All commercial trade

13 February 2008

Grenada

No. 2009/003 (3 February 2009)

Significant trade

Strombus gigas

12 May 2006

Haiti (non-party)

No. 2009/003 (3 February 2009)

Significant trade

Strombus gigas

29 September 2003

Iraq (non-party)

No. 2009/003 (3 February 2009)

Significant trade

Falco cherrug

22 January 2007

Kazakhstan

No. 2009/003 (3 February 2009)

Significant trade

Saiga tatarica

10 August 2001
Except for the export of live specimens from breeding facilities for conservation purposes. 22 January 2007

Lao People’s Democratic Republic

No. 2009/003 (3 February 2009)

Significant trade

Naja spp.(= N. atra, N. kaouthia, N. siamensis)

30 April 2004
Dendrobium nobile 3 February 2009

Madagascar

No. 2009/003 (3 February 2009)

Significant trade

Coracopsis vasa;

Calumma
spp. and Furcifer spp. (formerly Chamaeleo spp.) (except F. lateralis, F. oustaleti, F.pardalis and F. verrucosus)

Phelsuma
spp. (except P. laticauda, P. lineata, P. madagascariensis, P. quadriocellata)

20 January 1995
Cycadaceae, Stangeriaceae and Zamiaceae 6 December 2006

Malawi

No. 2009/003 (3 February 2009)

Significant trade

Hippopotamus amphibius

9 July 2001

Mali

No. 2009/003 (3 February 2009)

Significant trade

Poicephalus robustus

9 July 2001
Uromastyx dispar 22 August 2008
Mauritania

No. 2009/003 (3 February 2009) Significant trade Falco cherrug 22 January 2007

No. 2004/055 (30 Jul 2004)

National legislation

All commercial trade

 
No. 2003/027 (6 May 2003) Annual reports All trade  

Mongolia

No. 2009/003 (3 February 2009) Significant trade Falco cherrug 3 February 2009

Mozambique

No. 2009/003 (3 February 2009)

Significant trade

Cordylus tropidosternum

10 August 2001
Cycadaceae, Stangeriaceae and Zamiaceae 6 December 2006

Nigeria

No. 2005/038 (19 Jun 2005) Enforcement matters All trade  

Russian Federation

No. 2009/003 (3 February 2009)

Significant trade

Saiga tatarica

10 August 2001
Except for the export of live specimens from breeding facilities for conservation purposes 22 January 2007

Rwanda

No. 2006/073 (14 Dec 2006) National legislation All commercial trade 30 April 2004

Solomon Islands

No. 2009/003 (3 February 2009)

Significant trade

Corucia zebrata

9 July 2001
Ornithoptera urvillianus 20 January 1995
Ornithoptera victoriae

Somalia

No. 2008/041 (3 Jul 2008)

Ivory action plan

All commercial trade

13 February 2008

No. 2004/055 (30 Jul 2004)

National legislation

All commercial trade

 
No. 2006/074 (14 Dec 2006) Annual reports All trade 19 Dec 2002

Tajikistan (non-party)

No. 2009/003 (3 February 2009)

Significant trade

Falco cherrug

22 January 2007

Togo

No. 2009/003 (3 February 2009)

Significant trade

Poicephalus robustus

9 July 2001

United Republic of Tanzania

No. 2009/003 (3 February 2009)

Significant trade

Agapornis fischeri;

20 April 1993

Poicephalus cryptoxanthus; Poicephalus meyeri; Poicephalus rufiventris; Tauraco fischeri 20 January 1995
Malacochersus tornieri

This suspension does not apply to specimens of this species produced from ranching / captive-breeding operations, for which the annual export quota has to be agreed between the Management Authority and the Secretariat.
20 April 1993

30 June 1998
Prunus africana 3 February 2009

Viet Nam

No. 2009/003 (3 February 2009)

Significant trade

Cycadaceae, Stangeriaceae and Zamiaceae

6 December 2006


Note:

As can be seen in the table above, a country can be subject to several recommendations to suspend trade and these recommendations may be different in scope. For example, there may be a recommendation to suspend all trade in specimens of CITES species with a certain country, or all commercial trade in CITES species, or all trade in specimens of a particular species. In such cases, all of the recommendations should be taken into account by Management Authorities considering applications for permits or certificates.

The reason why there can be more than one trade suspension in place for a country is because there are several processes that can result in such a recommendation. The recommendations are made at different times, independently of each other, and each one remains in effect until the criteria for its withdrawal have been met.