If you move or trade endangered species of plants listed on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Faun and Flora (CITES) list, then you must apply for CITES permits and certificates.
This includes not only live plants but also their parts and derivatives from seeds, flowers or logs to oils, powders, cosmetics or medicinal products, furniture, carvings, musical instruments, among others.
Species+ can be used by traders to identify if the species they are trading in requires a CITES permit or not.Some commonly traded ornamental plants such as orchids, cacti, carnivorous plants, snowdrops or cyclamens, aloes, succulent euphorbias, cycads, palms, ferns and timber species may require CITES permits issued by the UK Management Authority to enter or exit Great Britain. Permits for CITES listed species are also required for movements between GB and Northern Ireland.
It is the responsibility of the UK importer/exporter to ensure that they know and follow the correct procedure. CITES listed species moved without valid permits must not be traded commercially.
Details on how to apply to import, export or re-export endangered plant species listed on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) can be found here: Apply for CITES permits and certificates to move or trade endangered species - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Importing and (re-)exporting CITES-listed species without the relevant permits will deem the movement of those goods illegal, which as a result cannot be traded commercially. In addition, failure to apply for the relevant permits could result in goods being seized and/or prosecution of the importer/exporter involved, so care should be taken to follow the correct procedure. It is the responsibility of the UK importer/exporter to ensure that they know and follow the correct procedure. CITES listed species moved without valid permits must not be traded commercially.
Species are added to, removed, or moved between Appendices regularly. Therefore, it is important to routinely check whether specimens traded are subject to any new regulations.
If you have any questions, please contact the UK CITES Management Authority at CIT-Bristol:
Tel: 0117 372 3700