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24.02.2023
You will find on the ATIBT website answers to your questions concerning the application of CITES regulations. This FAQ will be updated regularly and is available in English.
After our editorial on CITES a few weeks ago and the article we published in December 2022, we have received many questions regarding CITES regulations. The decision of the last CITES CoP to add all African species of the genera Afzelia (doussié), Khaya (mahogany) and Pterocarpus (padouk) to its Appendix II is causing a lot of queries in the tropical timber industry.
Cumaru (Dipteryx spp.) has been included in Appendix II. The listing includes a delayed implementation of 24 months and will become effective on November 25, 2024.
The list of questions we are asked is growing, and the updating of the FAQ, as part of the Cites - ATIBT project, will be ongoing. Our aim is to answer the most important questions as soon as possible.
Indeed, our association has decided to initiate an in-depth CITES reflection, which should continue over the next 3 years and support our entire sector. A first financing from the EU allows us to start this work, within the framework of the ASP-Green Deal Cameroun project.
We hope to be successful in helping Cites to consistently make the right decisions about which tropical timber species to include in its annexes.
In addition, we relay a circular published by the Belgian authorities, which may be useful.
This Belgian circular sheds some interesting light on the question "In concrete terms, what will change on 23.02.2023? "and states that if indeed, "As of 23 February 2023, any shipment of such (CITES) timber that is exported from the countries of origin or re-export must be covered by a CITES export permit or a CITES re-export certificate", it adds "However, no CITES import permit will be required for import into the EU until the species of such timber are listed in Annex B of EC Regulation 338/97, which is expected to happen in mid-April (we will inform you of the exact date of this listing as soon as it is known)".
And finally, it adds "If there is no CITES export permit or CITES re-export certificate present, EU Customs will be able to verify on the basis of the Bill of Lading or other document that the timber was loaded onto the vessel before 23.02.2023."
Finally, we also relay a circular from the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).
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