Cracking the Code

ALGERIA

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Fisheries

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: Only a small percentage of these exports went to Asia.

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: Only a small percentage of these exports went to Asia.

HS CODE IN FOCUS: 03 (Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates)

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD30,496,824

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: Algeria reported Viet Nam as the country in Asia it exported the greatest value of fisheries commodities to (HS 03), followed by Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR).

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: One fisheries area Algeria is exploring is aquaculture. The Algerian fish farming industry is in its infancy and while still a relatively small exporter to Asia, Algeria’s aquaculture capacity is increasing, presenting an opportunity for diversification of fisheries in wetland areas. An example of how Algeria is building aquaculture capacity is the collaboration with (and investment from) South Korea, which has allowed Algeria to farm the White-legged King Prawn Litopenaeus vannamei since 2016 (Zouakh & Meddour, 2017). There are concerns about the expansion of aquaculture in Algeria, as some imports from Algeria of fish and invertebrates have been infected with disease or parasites, which is concerning particularly as there is limited training available on fish pathology in Algeria (Zouakh & Meddour, 2017). 

BENIN

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Forestry

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: Less than a quarter of reported wood exports were reported to be exported to Asia.

HS-CODE IN FOCUS: 440729 (Wood, tropical; as specified in Subheading Note 2 to this Chapter, n.e.c. in item no. 4407.2, sawn or chipped lengthwise, sliced or peeled, whether or not planed, sanded or end-jointed, thicker than 6mm)

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD9,661,854

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: Benin’s biggest reported importing partners in Asia were mainland China followed by Singapore.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: While it is not possible to know which species are traded under the subheading of tropical wood from UN Comtrade Database data, one tropical wood harvested in Benin is CITES-listed African Rosewood Pterocarpus erinaceus. Rosewood has been reported to follow a “boom and bust” pattern of exploitation in West Africa, with a rapid spike in exports of the commodity to Asia before the eventual exhaustion of the product (CITES, 2016b). Benin was one of the early countries to be caught in this boom and bust cycle (CITES, 2016b) with high reports of exports in 2014 (Sun, 2014). While Benin is still exporting African Rosewood there is evidence that Benin’s stocks of African Rosewood are being over exploited (CITES, 2016a).

BOTSWANA

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Forestry and fisheries

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: Botswana reported very little trade to Asia across any of the commodities explored in this report.

HS CODE IN FOCUS: 03 (Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates)

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD4,384,616

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: The biggest reported importing partner of fish, crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates in Asia was Hong Kong SAR.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: Botswana is land-locked, the most important fishery stocks come from the Okavango Delta, plus some aquaculture with a focus on tilapia (FAO, 2018).

burkina faso

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Fisheries

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: Very little fisheries commodities were exported to Asia. A larger proportion of wood commodities was exported to Asia, including a small amount of tropical wood (HS 440349).

HS-CODE IN FOCUS: 40349 (Wood, tropical; as specified in Subheading Note 2 to this Chapter, other than dark red meranti, light red meranti and meranti bakau, in the rough, whether or not stripped of bark or sapwood, or roughly squared, untreated)

440349 (Wood, tropical; as specified in Subheading Note 2 to this Chapter, other than dark red meranti, light red meranti and meranti bakau, in the rough, whether or not stripped of bark or sapwood, or roughly squared, untreated)

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD35,268

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: All tropical wood (HS 440349) was reported to be exported to mainland China with a total value of USD35,268. Mainland China reported a significantly higher value of imports of tropical wood (HS code 440349) from Burkina Faso during the same time period (USD146,486).

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: There is believed to be significant unregulated and illegal trade of wood between countries in West Africa (including Burkina Faso), making it difficult to know if the exports reported in data from the UN Comtrade Database reflect timber harvested in Burkina Faso, or re-exported wood originating from a different country in West Africa (Oy, 2016)

BURUNDI

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Fisheries

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: Burundi’s highest value commodity group exported to Asia was animals.

HS CODE IN FOCUS: 050790 (Animal products; tortoise-shell, whalebone and whalebone hair, horns, antlers, hooves, nails, claws and beaks, unworked or simply prepared but not cut to shape, waste and powder of these products.)

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD139,838

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: The majority of animal commodities traded under 050790 from Burundi to Asia were exported to mainland China (USD 137,070) during 2016 and 2017 (17,315 kg).

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: It is not possible from UN Comtrade data alone to determine which species may be being traded under this code, and there are no reports of CITES-listed species exported from Burundi to mainland China during this time in the CITES Trade Database. However, Hong Kong SAR did report imports of 14,227 kg of Giant Pangolin (Manis gigantea) scales from shipments from Burundi in 2016 and 2017. These were accompanied by CITES permits, however according to the IUCN Red list, Giant Pangolin are not believed to native to Burundi (Nixon, 2019). The CITES Secretariat asked the Management Authority of Burundi for clarification (CITES, 2017). As the Management Authority did not provide evidence for the legal acquisition of these scales, the Secretariat was not in a position to recommend the acceptance of the documents (CITES, 2017). 

CAMEROON

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Forestry

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: Just under half of the wood commodities reportedly exported from Cameroon were reported to be exported to Asia.

HS CODE IN FOCUS: 440727 (Wood, tropical; Sapelli, sawn or chipped lengthwise, sliced or peeled, whether or not planed, sanded or end-jointed, thicker than 6mm)

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD308,903,394

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: Mainland China was the biggest reported Asian importer of Sapelli sawn wood (HS 440727) from Cameroon, followed by Malaysia.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: Sapelli was classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN in 1998 with heavy exploitation posing a threat throughout its range (Hawthorne, 1998). It is believed to be one of the most lucrative timber commodities exported from Cameroon (Noutcheu et al., 2016). Sapelli trees are a valuable to local communities as they host an edible caterpillar considered an important source of nutrition; a reduction in large host trees could reduce the availability of caterpillars (Noutcheu et al., 2016). 

CABO VERDE

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Fisheries

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: Only a small proportion of fisheries commodities reportedly exported by Cape Verde were reported to be exported to Asia.

HS CODE IN FOCUS: 030349 (Fish; tuna, frozen, (n.e.s) in item no. 0303.4 excluding fillets, livers, roes, and other fish meat of heading 0304).

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD67,755,773

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: Viet Nam was Cape Verde’s biggest reported importer in Asia of this HS code with reported export values of USD391,895.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: Fisheries are estimated to provide livelihoods for a fifth of the population in Cape Verde. There are concerns about the high dependency of some communities on fisheries, particularly as there is evidence that in some places fish stocks are in decline (Dancette, 2019) and that these declining stocks are under further pressure due to illegal fishing by foreign fishing vessels (Dancette, 2019).

central african republic

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Forestry

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: The majority of wood commodities reportedly exported from Central African Republic were reported to be exported to Asia.

HS CODE IN FOCUS: 440349 (Wood, tropical; as specified in Subheading Note 2 to this Chapter, other than dark red meranti, light red meranti and meranti bakau, in the rough, whether or not stripped of bark or sapwood, or roughly squared, untreated)

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD30,260,022

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: Central African Republic reported the largest reported importer of this commodity in Asia to be mainland China, followed by Indonesia.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: The annual illegal trade in wood in Central African Republic is believed to be equal or even greater in value to the average annual legal exports of wood to all trading partners (Karsenty, 2016). The high levels of illegal trade reflect a lack of governmental capacity to monitor and implement management (NEPCon, 2017c). Steps however have been taken to improve management as, between 2009 and 2010, CAR and the EU negotiated a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) to improve sustainability of wood (EU FLEGT Facility, 2020.). The VPA requires that efforts are taken to ensure timber legality, to fulfil this requirement from 2020 to 2023 there will be a project supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to develop systems to verify timber legality in the Central African Republic (EU FLEGT Facility, 2020)

CHAD

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Chad did not submit any merchandise trade reports between 2014 and 2018 to the UN Comtrade Database.

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: While Chad did not submit any trade reports, there are records of wildlife commodities being imported by Chad from other countries, notably mainland China.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: Chad has recently taken encouraging steps to curb illegal wildlife trade within the country through becoming a member of the AFRICA-TWIX platform. The Africa TWIX platform allows close collaboration and data sharing between the law enforcement officers of different member states (TRAFFIC, 2020).

COTE D-IVOIRE

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Forestry

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: A small percentage of Cote d'Ivoire’s reported wood exports were reported to be exported to Asia.

HS CODE IN FOCUS: 440729 (Wood, tropical; as specified in Subheading Note 2 to this Chapter, n.e.c. in item no. 4407.2, sawn or chipped lengthwise, sliced or peeled, whether or not planed, sanded or end-jointed, thicker than 6mm).

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD242,706,038

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: Cote d'Ivoire’s biggest reported importing partner in Asia was mainland China.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: There are concerns about the illegal trafficking of rosewood in Cote d'Ivoire. Most of the African Rosewood species Pterocarpus erinaceus in Cote d'Ivoire lies within an area which has been protected from logging since 1982 (CITES, 2016). However, there is evidence of serious levels of illegal logging of this wood, with a seizure of illegal timber (suggested to be African Rosewood) in 2012 being valued at over a million dollars (CITES, 2016). The largest market for this wood has been suggested to be China (CITES, 2016).

Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Fisheries

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: Almost a quarter of the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe’s reported fisheries exports were exported to Asia.

HS CODE IN FOCUS: HS code: 030729 (Molluscs; scallops, whether in shell or not, including queen scallops of the genera Pecten, Chlamys or Placopecten, frozen, dried, salted, in brine, or smoked, cooked or not before or during the smoking process)

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD54,996

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: The largest importers of this commodity in Asia were Japan, Hong Kong SAR and mainland China.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: Fisheries operations in the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe are small scale, with foreign vessels working in joint ventures with local companies (FAO, 2019b).

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) did not report any exports to the UN Comtrade Database between 2014-2018, and has not submitted data since 1986 (UN Comtrade, 2020). However, trading partners have reported significant amounts of trade between 2014 and 2018. DRC traditionally exported timber to Europe, but there has been an increase in trading links with mainland China (Lawson, 2014)

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: Mainland China reported the greatest value of imported wood and articles of wood including wood charcoal from the DRC in Asia (HS 44); in total, a staggering USD193,626,188 worth of imported wood and charcoal (HS 44).

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: Estimates of logging in 2011 alone place the amount of timber exploited at around 2.4 million m3, at least 87% of which was collected illegally (Lawson, 2014). In addition to the sheer volume of timber being exported to China, there are concerns about the species being exported as the endangered wood Millettia laurentii has been suggested to make up approximately 50 percent of wood exported from DRC to China (Chang & Peng, 2015). There are also reports of links between the illegal timber trade to Uganda and militant groups operating in the DRC (Lawson, 2014).

Djibouti

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Djibouti did not submit any merchandise trade reports between 2014 and 2018 to the UN Comtrade Database. Other countries did report importing goods from Djibouti during this time.

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: Hong Kong SAR was the largest reported importer from Asia of fisheries commodities (HS 03) with modest reported imports of USD642,968.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: No exports to Asia were reported by Djibouti to the CITES Trade Database between 2014 and 2018. Djibouti has been subject to a suspension for the commercial trade in CITES-listed species since 2004 due to inadequate national legislation (CITES, 2019a). A second suspension was imposed in 2018 for all trade in CITES-listed species after Djibouti failed to submit their annual reports (CITES, 2019a).

Egypt

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Medicinal and aromatic plants followed by wood and fisheries commodities.

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: In all categories, only a small percentage of exports were made to Asia.

HS CODE IN FOCUS: HS code: 030229 (Fish; fresh or chilled, flat fish, n.e.c. in item no. 0302.2, excluding fillets, livers, roes, and other fish meat of heading 0304)

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD72,830,947

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: Egypt reported the second highest value of flatfish exports from Africa to overseas markets and the biggest reported trading partner in Asia of flatfish was mainland China, followed by Hong Kong SAR.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: Flat fish in Egypt in some cases are sourced from lakes. Lakes including Lake Qarun have had to be re-stocked as human activities including the construction of significant dam projects, have led to progressive lake salination and subsequent extinction of local species (Cruz-Rivera & Malaquias, 2016). Selected salt tolerant species including Solea vulgaris were acclimatized to Lake Quarun conditions in the 1990s to support local fisheries (Cruz-Rivera & Malaquias, 2016; Ezzat et al., 1979).

Equatorial Guinea

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Equatorial Guinea did not submit any trade reports to the UN Comtrade Database between 2014 and 2018 (UN Comtrade, 2020). However, other countries did report importing from Equatorial Guinea during this time.

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: Notably, mainland China which was the largest importer of wood (HS 44) from Equatorial Guinea with imports of USD1,135,749,168.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: An analysis of 2011-2016 trade data has suggested that that the timber trade to mainland China has been consistently increasing (Forest Trends, 2018). While it is not possible to determine the species of timber traded through UN Comtrade, the CITES Trade Database recorded Bubinga Guibourtia demeusei, as imported by mainland China from Equatorial Guinea during this time period.

Eritrea

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Eritrea did not submit trade reports to the UN Comtrade Database between 2014-2018 (UN Comtrade, 2020).

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: Only very low values of goods were reported to be imported from Eritrea by trading partners in Asia. The biggest reported importer of all fisheries commodities from Eritrea (HS 03) was Taiwan, Province of China (POC) (USD195,268).

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: Gaps in the UN Comtrade Database due to countries not submitting trade data lead to serious challenges for monitoring of wildlife trade flows. A lack of reporting in some cases can lead to there being no records of particular trade transactions being recorded on the UN Comtrade Database, alternatively there may be records from only the exporter or importer. Trade records from both importing and exporting parties allow a more detailed analysis of trade, including allowing discrepancies in reporting to be explored. It is important therefore that countries like Eritrea are encouraged to submit data through the UN Comtrade Database.

Eswatini

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Forestry

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: Eswatini reported very little trade of wood commodities to Asia.

HS CODE IN FOCUS: 44: (Wood and articles of wood; wood charcoal)

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD431,986,822

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: Japan was Eswatini’s biggest reported importer of wood in Asia, however most reported wood exports were to other countries in Africa.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: A report by the Forest Stewardship Council has suggested that the majority of commercial timber in Estwatini timber is likely to come from plantations, some of which have been active since the 1930s (FSC, 2018). Indigenous timber is illegal to harvest and reported to be of low value. The FSC report also highlighted the presence of wild forests of non-native species like eucalyptus and wattle which have spread from the plantations into the surrounding regions (FSC, 2018). These invasive species have been identified as potentially having severe implications to the native ecosystems, particularly native grasslands, as well as water courses (FSC, 2018)

Ethiopia

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Animals and medicinal plants

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: In both cases only as small proportion of the goods were reported to be exported to Asia.

HS CODE IN FOCUS: 1211 (Plants and parts of plants (including seeds and fruits), used primarily in perfumery, pharmacy; for insecticidal, fungicidal or similar purposes, fresh or dried, whether or not crushed or powdered)

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD12,248,619

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: Ethiopia is a major exporter of medicinal plants (HS1211), the majority of which is exported to Europe. There are several reported trading partners in Asia for medicinal plants, the largest of which is Hong Kong SAR which Ethiopia reported exporting a small amount (USD3,791) to between 2014 and 2018.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: It is unclear which medicinal plants may be traded under this code. One medicinal plant which may be traded to certain countries from Ethiopia is Khat; a type of plant native to the Horn of Africa and which acts like a stimulant when chewed. It is also now cultivated over a larger area in Ethiopia than any other crop (Cochrane & O’Regan, 2016)

GABON

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Gabon did not submit reports of merchandise trade between 2014 and 2018 through the UN Comtrade Database. Other countries did report importing from Gabon between 2014 and 2018.

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: Mainland China reported the highest value of imports of wood (HS 44) from Gabon than any other country with a total of USD 1,131,831,695 reported between 2014 and 2018.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: A recent report by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) claims that attention needs to be paid to logging in Gabon, because the majority of timber extraction in Gabon is controlled by a Chinese run business group called the Deja Group. EIA alleges that the Deja Group is guilty of bribery, tax evasion, harvesting illegal species and overharvesting timber in Gabon (EIA, 2019).

The Republic of the Gambia

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Forestry and fisheries

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: Most of the reported wood commodities, and just under half of the fisheries commodities were exported to Asia.

HS CODE IN FOCUS: HS code: 0301 (Fish; live)

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD1,614,210

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: Gambia’s largest reported partner country in Asia was the Republic of Korea, with some additional trade to Viet Nam.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: Gambia has both marine fisheries, as well as freshwater fisheries in the Gambian river system. The artisanal fisheries sector is highly important to the Gambia’s food security, producing up to 90% of fish produced for consumption in country (FAO, 2015). Most of the industrial fishing in Gambia’s waters is carried out by foreign vessels which land the fish elsewhere (FAO, 2015).

Ghana

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Forestry and fisheries

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: A small amount of the reported fisheries and forestry exports were reported as exported to Asia.

HS CODE IN FOCUS: HS code: 030342 (Fish; frozen, yellowfin tunas (Thunnus albacares), excluding fillets, livers, roes, and other fish meat of heading 0304)

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD 65,060,568

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: Ghana’s biggest reported importing partner in Asia of frozen Yellowfin Tuna was Iran.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: Marine fisheries are highly important to the Ghanaian economy, however, there have been catch declines linked to factors including overexploitation of fisheries and degradation of habitats (O’Neill et al., 2018). There has also been a recent shift in the structure of the fisheries sector in Ghana, as traditional artisanal forms of fisheries have been replaced by large purse-seine vessels with backing from Asian companies (O’Neill et al., 2018).

Republic of Guinea

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Fisheries

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: Most of Guinea’s fisheries commodities were reported to be exported to Asia.

HS CODE IN FOCUS: 030349 (Fish; frozen, tuna, n.e.c. in item no. 0303.4, excluding fillets, livers, roes, and other fish meat of heading 0304).

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD 3,820,137

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: Guinea’s biggest reported importing partner of frozen tuna in Asia was the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: In Guinea, marine fisheries produce a higher proportion of produce than inland fisheries or aquaculture however, little is known about the state of the marine stocks (FAO, 2019d). There are additional concerns about illegal fishing by international vessels in Guinean waters; some reports have suggested that Chinese vessels may make up a significant proportion of these vessels (Mallory, 2013).

Guinea-Bissau

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Guinea-Bissau did not submit any reports on the trade in merchandise to UN Comtrade between 2014 and 2018.

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: Mainland China alone reported imports of USD75,588,585 of wood (HS 44) from Guinea-Bissau during this period.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: Although HS 44 is a high-level code which does not specify the species trade, following the 2012 coup there has been evidence of concerning levels of overexploitation and export of rosewood timber, of which mainland China has been suggested to be the main market, due to the demand for high-end rosewood furniture (Wrathall, 2019). 

KENYA

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Fisheries

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: Almost a fifth of fisheries commodities were exported to Asia between 2014 and 2018.

HS CODE IN FOCUS: HS code: 0304 (Fish fillets and other fish meat (whether or not minced); fresh, chilled or frozen)

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD22,072,995

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: Kenya’s biggest reported importing partners of fish filets and other fish meat in Asia was mainland China.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: While Kenya is producing significant amounts of fisheries produce, there are some concerns about the impact that introduced non-native fish may have on Kenyan freshwater fisheries (Okwiri et al., 2019), some of which are exported to markets in Asia (Bagumire et al., 2018). An extreme case of this was the introduction of the Nile Perch Lates niloticus to Lake Victoria. After the introduction, Nile Perch have been attributed with the decline in native fish populations including the extinction of approximately 200 endemic species, insect outbreaks and algal blooms (Okwiri et al., 2019).

LESOTHO

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Fisheries

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: Only a small percentage of fisheries commodities were exported to Asia.

HS CODE IN FOCUS: 030211 (Fish; fresh or chilled, trout (Salmo trutta, Oncorhynchus mykiss, Oncorhynchus clarki, Oncorhynchus aguabonita, Oncorhynchus gilae, Oncorhynchus apache and Oncorhynchus chrysogaster), excluding fillets, livers, roes, and other fish meat of heading 0304)

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD1,432,252

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: Lesotho reported the highest value fresh or chilled trout exports to Asia of any African country: all of which was exported to Japan.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: Following the development of the Highland Water Project, Lesotho began trout farming in 2006 and these trout farms play a significant role in the economy. Lesotho’s clean water means the trout command premium prices on the Japanese market where it is made into sushi (The Economist, 2014). However, the introduction of non-native fish including Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss and Brown Trout Salmo trutta has resulted in serious concerns about disease outbreaks (Kutu et al., 2017), as well as concerns about the severe impacts these introduced species may have on native fish including the Maluti Minnow Pseudobarbus quathlambae (Mccafferty et al., 2018).

liberia

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Liberia did not report any exports between 2014 and 2018 in the UN Comtrade Database.

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: China reported the highest value imports of tropical wood (HS440349) from Liberia of any trading partner globally, with USD92,798,487 worth of tropical wood between 2014 and 2018.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: During the civil war (1999–2003), the UN placed an embargo on timber from Liberia to prevent the different factions involved in the fighting from financing their actions by selling timber (Vorrath, 2018). The war stopped shortly after the embargo was put in place, and the ban lifted in 2006. Since the civil war, Liberia has made sweeping reforms to its national wood legislation, however there are concerns that corruption and poor governance may mean that these reformed laws are not being followed (NEPCon, 2017b) (Vorrath, 2018).

LIBYA

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Libya did not submit any merchandise reports to UN Comtrade between 2014 and 2018. Other countries, however, did report significant imports of fisheries commodities (HS 03) from Libya between 2014 and 2018 (USD142,954,000).

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: The highest value imports of fisheries commodities of any Asian country being reported by Japan (USD46, 301,074)

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: An estimate of 32,000 tonnes of fish were caught in Libya in 2017, significantly less than catches before the ongoing Libyan civil war. International fishing vessels are also reported to have taken advantage of the conflict by illegally fishing in Libyan waters, particularly for Bluefin Tuna (Belhabib et al., 2019).

MADAGASCAR

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Fisheries

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: A small amount of Madagascar’s fisheries commodities were reported to be exported to Asia.

HS CODE IN FOCUS: 030326 (Fish; frozen eels (Anguilla spp.), excluding fillets, liver, roes, and other fish meat of heading 0304)

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD1,174,128

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: The largest importer in Asia was the Republic of Korea.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: In 2009, European Eel Anguilla anguilla was listed on CITES Appendix II, and the EU banned all trade in European eel into or out of EU countries (CITES, 2018; Species+, 2020). The greater regulation of the trade of European Eel in the EU has had implications for the trade of other species of eel. In a 2018 CITES technical workshop on eels which assessed the impacts of CITES listings, it was noted that since the listing of A. anguilla there have been changes in the demand for other species of eel, including an increased demand for A. mossambica from Madagascar (CITES, 2018).

MALAWI

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Forestry and fisheries

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: Very little of Malawi’s fishery or forestry commodities were reported to be exported to Asia.

HS CODE IN FOCUS: 0301 (Fish; live)                                                    

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD3,813,893

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: Malawi’s biggest reported importer of both live fish, in Asia was Hong Kong SAR.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: Despite being land locked, Malawi has developed its fisheries and aquaculture which are mainly focussed in the South of Lake Malawi (FAO, 2019e). However, there are serious concerns about the degradation of Malawi’s fish stocks, due to factors including overfishing by artisanal and commercial fisheries mainly for domestic markets, habitat degradation, reduced migratory species in Malawi’s rivers, and the invasion of Asian snails into Lake Malombe (Jamu et al., 2011).

MALI

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Forestry

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: Almost all of the wood commodities reported as exported from Mali were exported to Asia.

HS CODE IN FOCUS: HS code: 4407 (Wood sawn or chipped lengthwise, sliced or peeled, whether or not planed, sanded or end-jointed, of a thickness exceeding 6mm)

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD13,635,233

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: The only trading partner reported by Mali as an importer of their wood (HS 4407 sawn or chipped lengthwise, sliced or peeled) in Asia was mainland China.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: There are concerns about the illegal international trade in some species of wood. Rosewood is highly valued and widespread illegal logging and trading led to the Malian government imposing a total trade ban on rosewood in 2014. CITES has suggested that there is a high demand for African rosewood in mainland China (CITES, 2015), a trend supported by data in this report.

MAURITIANA

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Fisheries

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: Around a quarter of Mauritania’s fisheries exports were reported to be exported to Asia.

HS CODE IN FOCUS: HS code: 030759 (Molluscs; octopus (Octopus spp.), frozen, dried, salted, in brine, or smoked, cooked or not before or during the smoking process)

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD838,151,621

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: The largest reported Asian importer of this commodity was Japan, followed by the Republic of Korea and mainland China.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: Long-term data sets suggest octopus fisheries in Mauritanian waters are overexploited, both by small scale and industrial fishing operations (Meissa & Gascuel, 2015). However, since 2005 there have been changes to the octopus fisheries in Mauritanian waters including longer closures of octopus fisheries and removal of certain trawling vessels which are likely to reduce pressures on stocks (Meissa & Gascuel, 2015). 

Republic of Mauritius

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Fisheries

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: Around half of the fisheries commodities exported by Mauritius were reported to be exported to Asia.

HS CODE IN FOCUS: 030119 (Fish; live, ornamental, other than freshwater)          

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD400,281

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: Mauritius’ biggest reported importing partners in Asia (both freshwater and not freshwater) were Hong Kong SAR, Singapore and Japan.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: In recent years, the ornamental fish trade in Mauritius has received governmental support as it is recognised as a growing lucrative market (Service Government Information, 2018). In 2018, the Government of the Republic of Mauritius announced the provision of new training and technical support for local cooperatives in order to encourage the expansion of aquaculture for ornamental fish (Service Government Information, 2018). However, data available in the UN Comtrade Database does not include source so it is not possible to know how many of the exported fish are from captive breeding facilities, and how many are currently wild collected.

MAYOTTE

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Mayotte did not report any exports of wildlife commodities, to Asia between 2014 and 2018 in the UN Comtrade Database.

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: No exports from Mayotte to Asia were reported in the CITES Trade Database between 2014 and 2018.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: In addition to the artisanal fisheries, there is also industrial fishing fleets which operate in the fishing grounds of Mayotte (European Commission, 2017). There is a fleet of French purse-seiners which operate in Mayotte’s waters, but do not dock there (European Commission, 2017). In addition to the French fleet, other EU and other non-EU seiners also fish in Mayotte’s waters, and EU vessels in particular gain access to the waters through an EU – Seychelles agreement; an arrangement which is seen as controversial by local fishermen (European Commission, 2017).

morocco

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Fisheries

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: A small percentage of Morocco’s fisheries exports were reported to be exported to Asia.

HS CODE IN FOCUS: HS code: 030192 (Fish; live, eels (Anguilla spp.))

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD15,777,980

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: The biggest importers in Asia were the Republic of Korea, followed by Hong Kong SAR.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: The highly lucrative nature of the trade in European Eel led to multiple crime syndicates becoming involved in the illegal trade of this species (Richards et al., 2020), with known trafficking routes from Europe to Asia via Morocco (Musing et al., 2018). There are significant challenges in regulating this illegal trade including the visual similarities between European Eel fry to the that of other species of eel, making the detection of this species very challenging for law enforcement (Richards et al., 2020). Despite these challenges, the high numbers of European Eel detected in supermarkets in Hong Kong, and lack of CITES permits for imports of European Eel into Hong Kong SAR, has led to allegations that these eels may not be entering the markets entirely undetected (Richards et al., 2020). 

MOZAMBIQUE

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Forestry

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: The majority of forestry exports from Mozambique were reported to be exported to Asia, and a smaller value of fisheries commodities.

HS-CODE IN FOCUS: HS code: 030613 (Shrimps & prawns, whether/not in shell, frozen)

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD69,059,849

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: Mozambique’s biggest reported partner for importing frozen shrimps and prawns in Asia was mainland China

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: While most fishing in Mozambique is carried out by artisanal fishers, industrial fisheries are also present in Mozambique, targeting shrimps in particular (FAO, 2019f). There have been attempts to develop shrimp farming in Mozambique, however, a serious outbreak of white spot in the shrimp farms in 2011 caused serious damage to the sector (FAO, 2019f)

NAMIBIA

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Forestry and fisheries.

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: Only a small amount of fisheries commodities were reported to be exported to Asia from Namibia.

HS-CODE IN FOCUS: HS code: 0306 (Crustaceans; in shell or not, live, fresh, chilled, frozen, dried, salted or in brine; smoked, cooked or not before or during smoking; in shell, steamed or boiled, whether or not chilled, frozen, dried, salted or in brine; edible flours, meals, pellets).

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD80,438,859

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: Namibia’s biggest reported importer of Namibian crustaceans in Asia was Japan.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: Within these exports crustaceans including crabs and lobsters and could have been traded. As well as the trade in crustaceans, Namibia has a small abalone farming project, however there are concerns that abalone are being collected illegally in South African waters, transported to Namibia then being brought back to South Africa before export, allowing smugglers to claim the product is not from South African waters (Minnaar et al., 2018).

REPUBLIC OF THE NIGER

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Fisheries

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: Only a small proportion of these fisheries commodities were exported to Asia.

HS-CODE IN FOCUS: HS code: 030243 (Fish; fresh or chilled, sardines (Sardina pilchardus, Sardinops spp.), sardinella (Sardinella spp.), brisling or sprats (Sprattus sprattus), excluding fillets, livers, roes, and other fish meat of heading 0304).

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD78,752

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: Niger’s biggest reported importing partners in Asia for HS code 030243 was Singapore, followed by mainland China, however these were likely to be re-exports.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: Niger is land locked and relies on lakes, ponds and reservoirs for fisheries. Aquaculture activities only occur at a very low level (FAO, 2017b). However, there are currently very serious concerns about food security within Niger, given recent increasing levels of armed conflict and associated high displacement of people within the country (FAO, 2019c).

Federal Republic of Nigeria

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Fisheries

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: Only a small proportion of these fisheries commodities were exported to Asia.

HS-CODE IN FOCUS: 030191 (Live trout (Salmo trutta, Oncorhynchus mykiss/clarki/aguabonita/gilae/apache/chrysogaster).

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD1,977,659

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: Nigeria’s only reported importing partner in Asia for live trout was Viet Nam.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: Nigeria has both freshwater and marine fisheries, with artisanal fishers playing a highly important role in fisheries production (FAO, 2017a). Nigeria has also seen recent development of its aquaculture capabilities and is now the largest producer of aquaculture fish in sub-Saharan Africa (FAO, 2017a). However, it has been reported that aquaculture waste products can detrimental to natural ecosystems and have to be regulated (Akinrotimi et al., 2011)

REUNION

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Reunion is an overseas department of France, and therefore the trade of Reunion has been included under France in data from the UN Comtrade Database since 1996 (UN Comtrade, 2009). In the cases of overseas territories like Reunion, UN Comtrade may not be a useful tool given the challenges of separating trade information from the trade of France and other overseas departments.

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: N/A

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: In the past, Reunion was known to have Green Sea Turtle mariculture facilities producing meat, fat and carapace commodities, where wild hatchlings would be collected and farmed until they were a size suitable to market. Much of the historical trade in this species was domestic and National legislation was reportedly put in place to protect the turtles in the 1980s (Ciccione & Bourjea, 2006), although the scope of this protection is unclear. Support from the European Union and Reginal Council has provided financial support to allow a gradual move away from the turtle farming industry (D’Cruze et al., 2014). Now Reunion is used as a case study for a successful move away from turtle farming without harming wild populations; wild populations are increasing, and tourist visits to the turtle rescue and research centre have increased to around 100,000 a year (D’Cruze et al., 2014).

Republic of the Congo

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Forestry

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: The majority of reported wood commodity exports from the Republic of the Congo was exported to Asia.

HS CODE IN FOCUS: USD44,696,583

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: 440727 (Wood, tropical; Sapelli, sawn or chipped lengthwise, sliced or peeled, whether or not planed, sanded or end-jointed, thicker than 6mm)

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: Mainland China was the Republic of the Congo’s largest trading partner in Asia for this HS code, with reporting exports of USD4,966,754.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: Despite the high percentage of land still covered by forest in the Republic of the Congo, there are concerns that the rapidly expanding roadways through the Republic of the Congo may facilitate illegal activities and forest fragmentation. Following financial incentives from the government, logging companies in the Republic of the Congo have been contracted to upgrade logging tracks into roads into the rainforest (Kleinschroth et al., 2019).

Republic OF RWANDA

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Rwanda did submit trade reports to UN Comtrade between 2014 and 2018, but did not report any trade of fisheries, wood of wildlife commodities to Asia.

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: N/A

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: Despite being a landlocked country, aquaculture has been highlighted as a promising area for future development. Currently, research on improving aquaculture in Rwanda is being supported by the Belgian Development Cooperation. However, a lack of capacity for aquaculture research and training in-country is hampering aquaculture improvements (Duijn et al., 2018).

SENEGAL

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Fisheries

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: Only a small proportion of Senegal’s fisheries commodities were reported to be exported to Asia.

HS CODE IN FOCUS: 030349 (Fish; frozen, tuna, n.e.c. in item no. 0303.4, excluding fillets, livers, roes, and other fish meat of heading 0304).

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD17,147,284

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: Senegal’s biggest reported Asian importing partners were the Republic of Korea, Thailand and China.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: Concerns have also been raised about the regional declines of T. albacares in the Senegal-Mauritania area. It is not fully understood why Yellowfin Tuna has been so rapidly declining in the Senegal-Mauritania part of its range. Several hypotheses have been put forward, including reduced fecundity associated with reduced genetic diversity of this population (Fonteneau & Meissa, 2017).

SIERRA LEONE

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Fisheries and forestry

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: The majority of wood and fisheries commodities exported by Sierra Leone were to Asia.

HS CODE IN FOCUS: HS code: 03 (Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates).

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD81,217,006

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: Sierra Leone’s biggest reported trading partner in Asia for this commodity was mainland China, followed by the Republic of Korea.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: A recent report highlighted threats to Sierra Leone’s fishery stocks from illegal foreign fishing vessels from a range of countries including Europe and mainland China, which have been reported to be increasing since 2014 (Seto et al., 2017). Illegal fishing can present serious issues to sustainable fisheries management as illegally caught fish would not be included in official fisheries.

SEYCHELLES

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Fisheries

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: Around a third of reported fishery exports were exported to Asia.

HS CODE IN FOCUS: 030811 (Aquatic invertebrates; sea cucumbers (Stichopus japonicus, Holothurioidea), live, fresh or chilled)/   HS code: 030819 (Aquatic invertebrates; sea cucumbers (Stichopus japonicus, Holothurioidea), frozen, dried, salted or in brine, smoked, whether or not cooked before or during the smoking process)

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD610,569/ USD1,672,720

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: All of the Seychelles exports of this commodity were reported to be exported to Hong Kong SAR, which is the recognised entry point of sea cucumber to Asia (CITES, 2019b).

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: Research looking at sea cucumbers in the Seychelles between 2000-2011 has suggested that while sea cucumbers stocks are in decline, the declines are not reflected in the amount of sea cucumbers harvested annually as there has been increasing effort to collect sea cucumbers over a wider area (Koike, 2017). Sea cucumbers are vulnerable to overfishing as a critical population density is needed to ensure breeding is successful. Sea cucumbers release their gametes into the water to breed therefore too great a distance between individuals reduces the possibility of reproductive success, making it difficult for populations to recover from overfishing (CITES, 2019b).

SOMALIA

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Somalia did not submit any merchandise trade reports to the UN Comtrade Database between 2014 and 2018.

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: However, other countries did report importing goods from Somalia between 2014 and 2018 on the UN Comtrade Database such as mainland China which reported importing USD32,884 (HS 050710) of animal commodities; ivory, unworked or simply prepared but not cut to shape, ivory powder and waste.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: Interestingly there is no records of ivory on the CITES Trade database being exported from Somalia to mainland China during this time.

SOMALILAND

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Somaliland is not recognised by the UN so does not submit reports to the UN Comtrade Database.

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: N/A

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: Somaliland has a very low gross domestic product per person (The World Bank, 2014). High levels of poverty and high-value opportunities for illegal wildlife smuggling make this country significant in the trade of vulnerable species like cheetahs, the cubs of which are highly valued in the illegal international pet trade. Pressure from wildlife trading has been highlighted as a real conservation concern for this species (Tricorache et al., 2018).SOMA

SOUTH AFRICA

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Fisheries and forestry, followed by animal commodities.

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: Asia was reported to be the destination of a significant proportion of South Africa’s exports of forestry and animal commodities, and to a letter extent a destination of fisheries exports.

HS CODE IN FOCUS: HS code: 410640 (Tanned or crust hides and skins; of reptiles, whether or not split, but not further prepared).

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD1,399,457

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: South Africa’s biggest reported importing partners of raw or semi processed reptile skin (HS 410640) in Asia were the Republic of Korea, Viet Nam and Japan.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: South Africa reported the highest value of tanned or crust reptile skin exports to global markets than any other country in Africa. Data from the UN Comtrade Database does not give details on what species of reptile make up South Africa’s exports of skins. CITES trade data, however, highlights that South Africa exported large quantities of Nile Crocodile Crocodylus niloticus skin (159,238 skins, 48,216 skin pieces as well as 300kg of skin pieces between 2014 and 2018). In the case of the Nile Crocodile, it has been suggested that the pressure through CITES particularly in the 1980s has been instrumental in facilitating sustainable utilisation of Nile crocodiles, with emphasis on captive rearing and ranching rather than using wild animals (MacGregor, 2002). 

SOUTH SUDAN

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: South Sudan did not submit reports of merchandise trade between 2014 and 2018 on the UN Comtrade Database.

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: While there were limited reports of wood exports from South Sudan to Asia, there were reports of high value exports of wood from Asia to South Sudan. The value of wood exported from mainland China to South Sudan was reported as USD2,263,712. Wood was also imported from other African countries due to limited infrastructure for harvesting wood in-country (WWF, 2012).

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: South Sudan became independent in 2011 and since then has been working with FAO to develop its agriculture, fisheries and timber industries (FAO, 2019a).

SUDAN

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Animals and medicinal and aromatic plants

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: The majority of Sudan’s exports of animals and medicinal and aromatic plants were reported to be exported to Asia.

HS CODE IN FOCUS: HS code: 1211 (Plants and parts of plants (including seeds and fruits), used primarily in perfumery, pharmacy; for insecticidal, fungicidal or similar purposes, fresh or dried, whether or not crushed or powdered)

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD69,952,861

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: 85% (USD59,179,985) of Sudan’s reported exports medicinal and aromatic plants (HS1211) were exported to Japan.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: While species-specific information is not available, Gum Arabic is could represent some of these exports as Sudan is reported to be a world-leading producer of Gum Arabic (Elkarim & Osman, 2019; Khalid et al., 2012). Gum Arabic is used to make medicines and cosmetics more viscous, as well as being used in the production of sweets (Khalid et al., 2012). It is harvested within Sudan from a 25,200 square kilometre region known as the Sudanese Gum Belt (Sudan Trade Point, 2020a). In addition to Gum Arabic production, there are other important medicinal plants reported to be exported from Sudan including henna which is used both as a dye and a fungicide (Khalid et al., 2012). 

TANZANIA

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Fisheries

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: A significant proportion of Tanzania’s fisheries exports were reportedly exported to Asia.

HS CODE IN FOCUS: HS code: 030119 (Fish; live, ornamental, other than freshwater)

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD532,222     

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: Tanzania reported the largest Asia importers as Hong Kong SAR, followed by Singapore and the Republic of Korea.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: While there is little work currently showing the sustainability of fisheries for aquarium species, there is evidence and concerns about overexploitation and destructive fishing methods being used in the collection of fish for the aquarium trade in other places (King, 2019).

TOGO

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Forestry

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: Almost a quarter of Togo’s timber exports were reportedly exported to Asia.

HS CODE IN FOCUS: 440349 (Wood, tropical; as specified in Subheading Note 2 to this Chapter, other than dark red meranti, light red meranti and meranti bakau, in the rough, whether or not stripped of bark or sapwood, or roughly squared, untreated).

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD475,100

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: Togo reported the largest Asian importer to be mainland China, followed by Singapore.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: Togo’s Government has been taking steps to protect its wood resources, following concerning increases in exports of rosewoods and illegal felling of species like African Rosewood Pterocarpus erinaceus. Togo has since placed a ten-year ban on the harvesting of any African Rosewoodbetween 2016 and 2026 to allow natural regeneration of these resources (Adjonou et al., 2020; Banla et al., 2019), which is now coupled with the CITES Appendix II listing of this species since 2017.

TUNISIA

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Fisheries

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: Only a small proportion of Tunisia’s reported fisheries exports were exported to Asia and almost half of these exports were made up of crustaceans.

HS CODE IN FOCUS: HS code: 0306 (Crustaceans; in shell or not, live, fresh, chilled, frozen, dried, salted or in brine; smoked, cooked or not before or during smoking; in shell, steamed or boiled, whether or not chilled, frozen, dried, salted or in brine; edible flours, meals, pellets).

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD251,405,637

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: Of the crustaceans exported to Asia by Tunisia, most were exported to Viet Nam.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: The FAO list shrimp as one of the four most valuable commodities fished in Tunisian waters (FAO, 2019g). The trawling fleets in Northern Tunisian waters target the deepwater Rose Shrimp Parapenaeus longirostris (Vendeville et al., 2016). However, this fishery is considered to be overexploited, and there are concerns about the damage which bottom trawling for this species is having on local ecosystems, particularly nurseries and spawning areas (Vendeville et al., 2016).

UGANDA

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Fisheries

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: Approximately a third of the fisheries commodities from Uganda were reported to be exported to Asia.

HS CODE IN FOCUS: HS code: 960190 (Bone, tortoise shell, horn, antlers, coral, mother-of-pearl and other animal carving material and articles thereof (including articles obtained by moulding)).

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD2,173,198

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: Mainland China and Hong Kong SAR were the biggest Asian importers of this commodity code from Uganda.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: Given the broadness of this code it is difficult to determine what type of product and the species being traded. In the case of bone commodities, this could be wild animals or domestic livestock, however without further information it is not possible to tell. It is important to consider how HS codes, which have a high volume of trade and contain wildlife commodities, could be improved to give more usable data about possible wildlife trading

WESTERN SAHARA

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Western Sahara is a disputed territory and not currently a submitter of data to the UN Comtrade Database (Comtrade, 2020), it has therefore not reported any trade in wildlife commodities, fisheries produce or wood commodities from 2014 to 2018.

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: N/A

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: The CITES Trade Database did include exports of a small number of orchids (20) Dendrobium aberrans and Neofinetia falcata to Thailand in 2015. These are native to Papua New Guinea and Japan respectively and were reported as artificially propagated.

ZIMBABWE

KEY COMMODITIES GROUPS: Animal commodities

ASIA TRADE INVOLVEMENT: Only a small proportion of Zimbabwe’s exports of animal commodities were reported to be exported to Asia.

HS CODE IN FOCUS: 410320

(Hides and skins; raw, of reptiles (fresh or salted, dried, limed, pickled or otherwise preserved, but not tanned, parchment-dressed or further prepared), whether or not dehaired or split.)

TOTAL EXPORT VALUE: USD152,045,480

KEY IMPORTING COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES: The biggest reported importer of raw reptile hides in Asia was Singapore, followed by Japan and the Republic of Korea.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: Species-specific information is not available from the UN Comtrade Database, but according to the CITES Trade Database between 2014-2018, Zimbabwe reported exports of a total of 18,640 Nile Crocodile skin pieces, 90,360 skins and 3,893 small pieces of leather to Asia. Nearly all (99%) were reported as being from ranched animals. The exported reptile hides and skins reported in UN Comtrade could also include other species which are not CITES-listed