Questions & Answers
CITES-listed Timber and Wood Updates
Do you have a comprehensive listing of the timber species that were implemented on November 25, 2024?
Yes.
This letter highlights the actions taken by the Parties to CITES to regulate the international trade in wood and wood products of Trumpet trees (Handroanthus spp., Roseodendron spp., and Tabebuia spp.), African mahoganies (Afzelia spp.), cumaru (Dipteryx spp.), padauk (Pterocarpus spp.), and Brazil wood (Paubrasilia echinata).
What action have you taken with major ipê and cumaru exporting nations about their preparations for the listings to go into effect?
We, with our federal agency partners, have consulted with ipê and cumaru range countries, and other significant importing countries, in an effort to ensure that the implementation of these new timber species listing is as smooth as possible.
What guidance can you provide regarding timber shipments that left before the implementation date and land without a CITES permit due to logistical issues?
The best approach for addressing shipments arriving at U.S. ports of entry on or after November 25, 2024 without required CITES documents is to ensure clear and timely communication with both our domestic and international partners.
We have met and continue to meet with our Federal Government partners to determine processes to be followed for shipments arriving at U.S. ports of entry on or after November 25, 2024 without the required CITES documents. Consistent with CITES requirements and our U.S. CITES implementing regulations, our process is to place such shipments on hold at the U.S. port of entry and initiate bilateral consultation with the (re-)exporting Party to determine their ability and willingness to issue the required CITES document (likely, a pre-Convention certificate).
We will also continue to work actively with industry and exporting Parties to identify those shipments and, where possible, seek for CITES documents to be issued prior to shipments arriving at U.S. ports, and if not possible, then as quickly as possible after their arrival.
Are you taking steps to address the six-month period of validity for CITES permits, which may not be sufficient for the timber trade?
Yes. We are actively working with exporting countries and other importing countries to discuss these challenges and ensure we have processes in place to resolve any issues that arise as quickly as possible.
The CITES Parties have recognized that the six-month validity period for CITES documents for timber shipments may not be appropriate given the nature of the trade. The Parties have adopted guidance on extending the period of validity for those permits. In addition, we will consider whether it would be appropriate to propose additional guidance specific to trade in timber for consideration at the 20th meeting of the Conference to the Parties (CoP20), which is scheduled to be held November 24 through December 5, 2025.
Will there be any new timber species included in the CITES Appendices at the next meeting of the Conference of Parties (CoP20)?
In response to our March 2024 CoP20 Federal Register notice, we received suggestions from the public to consider six U.S. tree species for inclusion in Appendix I: American elm (Ulmus americana), green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), white ash (Fraxinus americana), longleaf pine (Pinus palustris), red bay (Persea borbonia), and swamp bay (Persea palustris). We are currently evaluating these species to determine if they meet the biological and trade criteria for the inclusion in Appendix I or II outlined in CITES Resolution Conf. 9.24 on Criteria for amendment of Appendices I and II.
During our last meeting with CITES delegates from the European Union, no additional timber species were proposed; however, we recommend you reach out directly to them as they have their own public process for input.
Will you hire additional staff or are you taking other steps in order to reduce the time it takes to process permits and port entry?
In collaboration with our federal partners, we have developed an implementation plan, outreach, and other resources we need to prepare for the upcoming timber listings.
We are also implementing a comprehensive effort to innovate and optimize our processes to better serve our permit applicants and maximize conservation outcomes.
Concerning hiring additional staff, we can only hire staff dedicated to processing permit applications when funding is appropriated by Congress.