The 26th meeting of the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Plants Committee will convene next week, June 5-9, in Geneva, Switzerland, and
 
CITES is an international agreement that became effective in 1975 and currently includes 182 countries, including all of the European Union, as members. CITES establishes specific requirements for plant and animal species that are intended to protect the listed species from extinction, endangerment, and exploitation in international trade.
 
Jane Wilson, director of program development, will represent the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) at the meeting. This will be the tenth CITES Plants Committee meeting in which AHPA is an authorized observer, since the association initiated direct involvement with CITES in 2002.
 
Wilson will represent AHPA’s concerns around botanical species listed by CITES which are used in dietary supplements and other natural products. Most recently, in November 2022, all species of Rhodiola spp. were added to CITES Appendix II, one of three appendices which imposes specific reporting requirements for all trade between CITES member countries.
 
“CITES listing of plant species have a direct impact on manufacturers and marketers of products containing these botanicals as ingredients,” said Wilson. “It is crucial to keep our members informed of CITES requirements that may impact their supply and sourcing, and we are committed to doing so by attending CITES Plants Committee meetings and developing guidance materials.”
 
AHPA recently updated its CITES primer, a document on the processes and practices for importing and exporting plants, to include newly listed species. The primer is available at no cost to all AHPA members at the association’s guidance documents page.
 
AHPA also hosted a webinar called “CITES Impact on Your Supply Chain” in January 2023 to provide an overview of CITES and the listing of rhodiola. The webinar features a Q&A session with a representative from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the federal agency designated to carry out the provisions of CITES in the U.S.