This section provides an overview of exports of CITES-listed species reported by EU Member States and candidate countries in 2014. The importance of the EU as an exporting market continues to increase, with the EU reporting more than twice the number of export transactions as import transactions in 2014. The commodities exported at the highest volumes from all sources were: live plants, reptile small leather products, and live sturgeon eggs.
As in 2013, Tridacna maxima (Small giant clam) was the species directly exported by the EU in the highest quantities from the wild; the majority of other wild-sourced exports (excluding trade for scientific purposes) comprised hunting trophies. The majority of trade in Annex A species was from captive-produced or artificially propagated sources.
The most highly exported commodity exported by candidate countries was live plants, most of which were wild-sourced; the only other commodity exported at greater than 1000 units was captive-bred live reptiles.
This section considers both direct and indirect trade. Throughout the section, ‘exports’ refers to both direct exports and re-exports, unless otherwise specified.