In 2014, just under 95 000 import transactions were reported by Member States in their annual reports to CITES; as in 2013, the majority of transactions in 2014 involved either wild-sourced (52%) or captive-produced /artificially propagated commodities (36%) and were for commercial purposes (95%). The total number of import transactions reported by Member States remained constant between 2013 and 2014.  A total of 3177 different taxa were imported by Member States in 2014, of which 73% were plants.

Number of EU import transactions reported by EU Member States by source, 2005 – 2014. ‘Captive -produced’ includes source ‘C’, ‘A’, ‘D’ and ‘F’; ‘Other’ includes source ‘O’,‘U’ and trade reported without a source.

Number of import transactions reported by EU Member States by purpose in 2014. ‘Other’ includes purpose ‘B’, ‘E’, ‘G’, ‘M’, ‘N’, ‘Q’, ‘S’, ‘Z’ and trade reported without a purpose.

Top 10 commodities by group imported by EU Member States in 2014 ordered by quantity (as reported by importers).

Key: ↓ signifies decrease in trade in 2014 compared to 2013; ↑ signifies increase in trade in 2014 compared to 2013.

Live plants

In 2014, Member States imported a total of 22 559 236 live plants, of which virtually all (99%) were imported for commercial purposes. Total imports of live plants decreased by 17% compared to 2013; wild-sourced imports remained at similar levels. Wild-sourced plants (primarily Galanthus species) accounted for 73% of imports, with artificially propagated plants (sources ‘A’ and ‘D’) comprising the remainder. Of all plants imported, >99% of the taxa involved were Appendix II-listed.

As in 2013, Turkey was the principal trading partner, accounting for 64% of live plants imported; of these, 37% were re-exports originating in Georgia (all G. woronowii, Green snowdrop). The SRG confirmed a positive opinion for G. woronowii from Georgia on 30/06/2009 (with a quota of 15 millions bulbs) and for Turkey on 16/02/2010. Seventy eight per cent of all live plant imports comprised Galanthus spp. (snowdrop) of which 92% were wild-sourced.

Top imports of live plants by EU Member States in 2014, by taxa and source. ‘Artificially propagated’ includes source ‘A’ and ‘D’.

Leaves and stems

Imports of leaves and stems reduced by 20% in 2014 compared to 2013 levels and, as in 2013, Cycas revoluta (Fern palm) was the top species traded as leaves, accounting for over 99% of the roughly 2.8 million leaves imported by the EU in 2014. The vast majority of leaves were artificially propagated and imported by the Netherlands directly from Costa Rica for commercial purposes. The import of an additional 165 kg of leaves were reported, all of which were artificially propagated Aloe secundiflora.

Of the approximately 2.4 million stems that were imported by the EU in 2014, the vast majority were from the family Cactaceae. Nearly all imports were artificially propagated for commercial purposes (99%) and the principal exporter was the United Republic of Tanzania (hereafter referred to as Tanzania) accounting for 77% of imports. Stem imports were dominated by trade in Rhipsalis species (91%).

Top imports of artificially propagated stems, reported by number, by EU Member States in 2014, by taxa.

Reptile skins

In 2014, over 1.3 million reptile skins were imported by Member States, an increase of thirteen per cent compared to 2013. As in 2013, the majority were wild-sourced (60%) and for commercial purposes (>99%). Nearly half of all skins were imported from Asia; countries in the Americas also represented key trading partners.

The United States and Singapore were the top EU trading partners, accounting for 25 and 24 % of imports, respectively. Singapore acts as an entrepôt state for the reptile skin trade and almost all imports by EU Member States in 2014 from Singapore were indirect trade, with the majority originating in other Asian countries (primarily Viet Nam and Indonesia) and the United States.

Imports of reptile skins by EU Member States in 2014, by CITES region of (re-)export and source. ‘Captive-produced’ includes source ‘C’, ‘D’ and ‘F’. ‘Other’ includes source ‘O’ and trade reported without a source. “Europe” excludes EU Member States.

As in the preceding years, Alligator mississippiensis (American alligator; >99% of which was wild-sourced) was the top taxa in trade, accounting for nearly a third of all trade in skins. A. mississippiensis accounted for over 99% of wild-sourced trade from North America. Other species traded at notable levels as wild-sourced were Varanus salvator (Water monitor) and Python reticulatus (Reticulated python) representing 34% and 24% of wild-sourced trade from Asia. Trade in Caiman and Tupinambis (Tegu) species accounted for 99% of wild sourced exports from Central and South America.

Top 10 reptile taxa imported as skins by EU Member States in 2014 (both directly and indirectly), by source. ‘Captive-produced’ includes source ‘C’, ‘D’ and ‘F’. ‘Other’ includes trade reported without a source. 

Bark

In 2014, over 1.3 million kg of bark was imported by Member States, an increase of 44% compared to 2013. As in 2013, Prunus africana (African cherry) was the top species traded as bark in 2014, accounting for almost all of the bark imported by the EU (>99%). All of P. africana was wild-sourced, the majority of which (78%) was exported from Cameroon, followed by 14% exported from Uganda.

Further details on species imported at notable levels or showing noteworthy trends in 2014 compared with previous years are provided here.