What is CITES Appendix III?

The Convention on International Trade in

Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and

Flora (CITES) is a treaty aimed at

protecting species at risk from

international trade. Appendix III is a list

of wildlife and plant species identified by

particular CITES Party countries as

being in need of international trade

controls.

What does Appendix III do?

It helps a Party gain international

cooperation in controlling trade in certain

native wildlife and plant species that are

subject to the laws and regulations of

that country; allows international trade

in species listed in Appendix III with

CITES documents; and provides a

means of gathering trade data and other

relevant information to assist the CITES

Management Authority in a country or

region in determining the impact, if any,

of international trade on native

populations.

How does Appendix III differ from

Appendix II?

A species is unilaterally listed in

Appendix III by a country in the native

range of that species, at the request of

that country. In contrast, a species is

listed in Appendix II by a vote of the

Parties.

For the export of specimens of an

Appendix-III species, the Management

Authority in the country of export need

only determine that the specimens were

not obtained in contravention of that

country’s laws for the protection of

animals and plants. In contrast, the

export of specimens of an Appendix-II

species requires that the CITES

authorities in the country of export

determine that the specimens were

acquired legally and that their export

will not be detrimental to the survival of

the species.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

CITES Appendix III

What do the country annotations mean

for Appendix-III species?

In the CITES list, each Appendix-III

species listing includes an annotation

showing the name of a country (in some

cases more than one country). The

annotation indicates the specific country

that listed the species in Appendix III.

The annotation signifies that a CITES

export permit must accompany a

specimen exported directly from the

country that listed that species. A

CITES certificate of origin is required

from all other exporting countries unless

the listing is restricted to specific

populations.

In the case of Spanish cedar (Cedrela

odorata), the annotation indicates the two

countries that listed the species and also

limits the listing to only the specific

populations of those two countries.

Therefore, for specimens of Spanish

cedar, a CITES export permit must be

obtained for export from the countries

that listed the species (Columbia or

Peru), but no CITES certificate of origin

is required for export from other

countries.

Can Appendix-III species be imported to

the United States?

Yes. To import Appendix-III species into

the United States, you must present

valid CITES documentation to the

appropriate U.S. authorities when your

shipment enters the United States.

If your specimens came directly from a

country that has listed the species in

Appendix III, you must present a

CITES export permit issued by the

Management Authority of that country.

If your specimens came directly from a

country that has not listed the species in

Appendix III, you must present a

CITES certificate of origin issued by the

Russell’s viper
Management Authority of that country.

If your specimens came from a country

of re-export, you must present a CITES

re-export certificate issued by the

Management Authority of that country.

Can Appendix-III species be exported or

re-exported from the United States?

Yes. To export or re-export Appendix-III

species from the United States, you must

obtain documentation from us to give to

authorities of the importing country.

If the United States has listed the

species in Appendix III, you must obtain

a CITES export permit from us.

If another country has listed the species

in Appendix III, you must obtain a

CITES certificate of origin from us.

If you are re-exporting your specimens,

you must obtain a CITES re-export

certificate from us.

How do I obtain appropriate

documentation for CITES-listed species?

To apply for a U.S. CITES document,

you must complete a standard

application form and submit it with a

processing fee to us.

To apply for a CITES document from

another country, you must contact their

Management Authority. You can obtain

names and addresses of other countries’

Management Authority offices from us

or access the national contacts page on

the CITES Secretariat’s website

(www.cites.org).

What kinds of wildlife and plants are

covered by Appendix III?

Over 230 wildlife species and 8 plant

species are currently listed in Appendix

III.

Currently, the United States has not

listed any native species in Appendix III.

One key Appendix-III species native to

the United States that has been listed by

Canada is the walrus (Odobenus

rosmarus).

Key non-native Appendix-III species

commonly traded to and from the United

States include the bongo antelope

(Tragelaphus eurycerus) listed by

Ghana, and Russell’s viper (Daboia

russellii) listed by India.

How will I know if my wildlife or plant is

listed in any of the CITES Appendices?

You may access the official CITES list on

the Secretariat’s website (www.cites.org)

or access the Service’s unofficial list in an

easy-to-use format on our website.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

International Affairs

Division of Management Authority

4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Room 700

Arlington, VA 22203

703/358-2104 or 800/358-2104

Fax 703/358-2281

e-mail: managementauthority@fws.gov

http://international.fws.gov

http://permits.fws.gov

Summer 2003

Walrus