CFR > Title 50 - Wildlife and Fisheries > CHAPTER I—UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR > SUBCHAPTER B—TAKING, POSSESSION, TRANSPORTATION, SALE, PURCHASE, BARTER, EXPORTATION, AND IMPORTATION OF WILDLIFE AND PLANTS (Parts 10–24) > PART 23—CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES OF WILD FAUNA AND FLORA (CITES) > SUBPART B—Prohibitions, Exemptions, and Requirements (§23.13 to §23.27) > 23.27—What CITES documents do I present at the port?

23.27—What CITES documents do I present at the port?

(a) Purpose. Article VIII of the Treaty provides that Parties establish an inspection process that takes place at a port of exit and entry. Inspecting officials must verify that valid CITES documents accompany shipments and take enforcement action when shipments do not comply with the Convention.
(b) U.S. port requirements. In the United States, you must follow the clearance requirements for wildlife in part 14 of this subchapter and for plants in part 24 of this subchapter and 7 CFR parts 319, 352, and 355, and the specific requirement in paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section.
(c) General validation or certification pr ocess. Officials in each country inspect the shipment and validate or certify the CITES document. The table in this paragraph (c) provides information on:
(1) The types of original CITES documents you must present to be validated or certified by the inspecting official to export or re-export from a country.
(2) When you need to surrender a copy of the original CITES document to the inspecting official at the time of export or re-export.
(3) When you need to surrender the original CITES document to the inspecting official at the time of import or introduction from the sea.
Type of CITES document Present original for export or re-export validation or certification Surrender copy uponexport or re-export Surrender original uponimport or introductionfrom the sea
Bred-in-captivity certificate Required Required Required
Certificate for artificially propagated plants Required Required Required
Certificate of origin Required Required Required
Certificate of ownership Required Required Not required; submit copy
Code of Federal Regulations 172
Export permit Required Required Required
Import permit Not required Required Required
Introduction-from-the-sea certificate Not applicable Not applicable Required
Multiple-use document Required 1 Required Not required; submit copy
Phytosanitary certificate Required Required Not required; submit copy
Pre-Convention document Required Required Required
Re-export certificate Required Required Required
Registered Appendix-I commercial breeding operation, export permit Required Required Required
Registered Appendix-I nursery, export permit Required Required Required
Replacement document where a shipment has been made and is in a foreign country Not required Not required Required
Replacement document where a shipment has not left the United States Required Required Required
Retrospective document Not required Not required Required
Sample collection covered by an ATA carnet, CITES document Required Required Not required; submit copy
Traveling-exhibition certificate Required Required Not required; submit copy
1 Original must be available for inspection, but permit conditions will indicate whether an original or copy is to be validated.
(d) Customs declaration labels. The customs declaration label used to identify specimens being moved between registered scientific institutions ( § 23.48) must be affixed to the shipping container. The label does not require export or re-export validation or certification at the port.