Subject: International Trade in Vicuña Fiber and Fiber Products

Background: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reclassified the vicuña (Vicugna vicugna) in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) [see 67 FR 37695] . All other populations remain endangered. This reclassification created a special rule that allows import of certain legal fiber, and fiber products from vicuña populations listed as threatened under the ESA and also listed in Appendix-II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Action: Effective July 1, 2002, the United States will allow the import, export, or re-export of vicuña fiber and fiber products without an ESA threatened species permit when all of the following requirements are met:

(1) The item consists of raw vicuña fiber, or is an item or cloth made, or partially made, from vicuña fiber.

(2) The country of origin of the vicuña fiber or fiber product is Argentina, Bolivia, Chile or Peru and the population is listed as CITES Appendix-II. Vicuña from all other countries of origin and CITES Appendix-I populations remain endangered and are not authorized under the reclassification.

(3) Each shipment must be accompanied by a valid CITES export permit or re-export certificate, including noncommercial personal or household effects. There is no exemption from permits for personal or household items. Valid CITES permits and certificates must contain all the required CITES information, including the following:

(a) The country of origin of the animal that produced the fiber, and the number and date of issuance of the CITES export permit;

(b) The country of re-export, and the certificate number and date of issuance of the CITES re-export certificate, for items that are re-exported to or from the United States;

(c) The country of last re-export, the certificate number and issuance date of the CITES certificate used for the last re-export, for items that have been traded in and out of several countries.

(4) The vicuña fiber or fiber product must meet the requirements of all CITES listing annotations for vicuña which specify authorized populations, items allowed for export, and marking or labeling requirements.

(5) The vicuña product must be marked or labeled as below:

(a) Cloth and cloth products: The reverse side of the cloth and cloth products must bear the logo adopted by the countries, and the words "VICUÑA-(Country of Origin)" (where the country of origin is Argentina, Bolivia, or Chile) or the words "VICUÑA-PERU-ARTESANIA" (where the country of origin is Peru);

(b) Finished vicuña products including luxury handicrafts and knitted articles and any bulk shipments of raw fiber: The product or shipment must have a seal or identification tag with codes that describe the origin of the product, the trademark or label (as in 5a above), and the CITES export permit number.

(6) The country of origin, and each country of re-export involved in the trade of a particular shipment, must have officially designated a CITES Management and Scientific Authority.

(7) The country of origin, and each country of re-export involved in the trade of a particular shipment, can not be a country from which CITES Parties have been directed to not accept permits.

The special rule does not apply to live vicuña, embryos, blood, and other tissues, or any vicuña products other than those authorized above. These specimens require permits under the ESA in addition to CITES Appendix-I permits. Permits will only be issued for bona fide scientific research contributing to conservation of the species in the wild.

Contact:
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Office of Law Enforcement
703-358-1949 703-358-2271 (fax)