NOTICE TO THE WILDLIFE IMPORT/EXPORT COMMUNITY
Subject: CITES Trade Suspension – All Commercial Trade in CITES species with Mexico
Background: The Endangered Species Act prohibits trade in specimens contrary to the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Article I of the Convention
defines “trade” to mean export, re-export, import, and introduction from the sea. Article XIII designates
the Secretariat to communicate to the Parties when species in Appendix I and II are being adversely
affected in trade or that the provisions of the Convention are not being implemented effectively.
An import permit, export permit, or re-export certificate issued for the species by the country under
suspension is considered invalid (see 50 CFR § 23.26 (c)(5)).
The CITES Secretariat issued CITES Notification No. 2023/037 on March 27, 2023, announcing the trade
suspension for all commercial trade with Mexico, effective immediately.
See Notification to the Parties 2023 (cites.org). [https://cites.org/sites/default/files/notifications/E-Notif-2023-037.pdf]
The complete list of Parties subject to a recommendation to suspend trade is available on the CITES
website under Documents/Trade suspensions (see http://www.cites.org/eng/resources/ref/suspend.php).
Action: The United States implements all CITES recommendations to suspend trade, including the
import, export, and re-export of any CITES species subject to a trade suspension. Effective immediately,
all shipments containing CITES specimens traded for commercial purposes under an import permit,
export permit, or re-export certificate issued by Mexico for the species, are subject to enforcement action.
Contact:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Office of Law Enforcement
703-358-1949; 703-358-2271 (fax)
lawenforcement@fws.gov (e-mail)
