Guidance

CITES trade term codes

Published 8 October 2024

Find the relevant trade term code you need when you apply for a CITES permit to move or trade endangered species.

Each code is 3 letters (for example, LIV for live animals and plants) and used to describe the type of specimen that you are applying for. A specimen is a living or dead animal or plant or any of its parts, or an item made from these.

If you are not sure which is the correct trade term code to use, you can provide more detail when describing the specimen in your application.

Trade term code	Name	Preferred unit	Alternative unit	Description
BAL	baleen	kilograms	number	elastic sheets of keratin that hang from the upper jaw of baleen whales (Mysticeti) and allow them to feed
BAR	bark	kilograms		tree bark (raw, dried or powdered, unprocessed)
BOD	body	number	kilograms	substantially whole dead animals, including whole fish, stuffed turtles, preserved butterflies, reptiles in alcohol, whole stuffed hunting trophies If referring to specimens of sharks and rays (Elasmobranchii spp.), the preferred unit is kilograms.
BON	bone	kilograms	number	bones, including jaws
CAL	calipee	kilograms		calipee or calipash (turtle cartilage for soup)
CAP	carapace	number	kilograms	raw or unworked whole shells of Testudines species
CAR	carving	kilograms	number	carved products other than ivory, bone or horn – for example, coral and wood (including handicrafts) Note: ivory carvings should be specified as such (see carving – ivory (worked ivory) ‘IVC’). Also, for species from which more than one type of product may be carved (for example, horn and bone), the trade term code should indicate the type of product in trade (for example, bone carving ‘BOC’ or horn carving ‘HOC’), where possible.
BOC	carving – bone	kilograms	number	bone carving
HOC	carving – horn	kilograms	number	horn carving
IVC	carving – ivory (worked ivory)	kilograms	number	ivory carvings, for example smaller worked pieces of ivory (including knife handles, chess sets, marjoram sets) Note: whole carved tusk should be reported as carving – ivory (worked ivory) ‘IVC’ not as tusks (see tusk (raw ivory) ‘TUS’). Jewellery made from carved ivory should be reported as ‘jewellery –ivory’ (see jewellery – ivory (worked ivory) ‘IJW’).
CAV	caviar	kilograms		unfertilised dead processed eggs from all species of Acipenseriformes – also known as roe
CHP	chips (woodchips)	kilograms		chips of timber, especially Aquilaria spp., Gyrinops spp. and Pterocarpus santalinus
CLA	claw	number	kilograms	claws – for example, of Felidae, Ursidae or Crocodylia (note: ‘turtle claws’ are usually scales and not real claws)
CLO	cloth	square metres	kilograms	cloth – if the cloth is not made entirely from the hair of a CITES species, the weight of hair of the species concerned should instead, if possible, be recorded under hair ‘HAI’
COR	coral (raw)	number	kilograms	raw or unworked coral and coral rock (also live rock and substrate) [as defined in Resolution Cont. 11.10 (Rev. CoP15)]. Coral rock should be recorded as ‘Scleractinia spp.’ Note: the trade should be recorded by number of pieces only if the coral specimens are transported in water. Live rock (transported moist in boxes) should be reported in kilograms. Coral substrate should be reported as number of pieces (since these are transported in water as the substrate to which non-CITES corals are attached).
COS	cosmetics	grams	millilitres	Any product or mixture of products which is applied to an external part of the body only (for example, skin, hair, nails, genitals, lips or teeth or the mucous membranes of the oral cavity) with the intent to clean, odorise, change the appearance or protect. Cosmetics may include the following: make-up, perfume, skin cream, nail polish, hair colourants, soap, shampoo, shaving cream, deodorant, sunscreens, toothpaste. Cosmetics which include extracts of CITES- listed species. The quantity should reflect the amount of CITES-listed species present.
CUL	culture	number – for example, of flasks		cultures of artificially propagated plants
DER	derivatives	kilograms or Iitres		derivatives (other than those included elsewhere in this table)
DFN	fin (dried)	kilograms		dried fins and parts of fins (including flippers)
DPL	dried plant	number		dried plants – for example, herbarium specimens
EAR	ear	number		ears – usually elephant
EGG	egg	number	kilograms	whole dead or blown eggs (see also caviar ‘CAV’)
EGL	egg (live)	number	kilograms	live fertilised eggs – usually birds and reptiles but includes fish and invertebrates
ESH	eggshell	grams or kilograms		raw or unworked eggshell except whole eggs
EXT	extract	kilograms	litres	extract – usually plant extracts
FEA	feather	kilograms or number of wings	number	feathers – in the case of objects (for example, pictures) made of feathers, record the number of objects
FFN	fin (wet)	kilograms		fresh, chilled of frozen fins and parts of fins (including flippers)
FIB	fibre	kilograms	metres	natural fibre: generic term for several types of material of natural (plant or animal) origin Animal fibre can usually be spun and woven and is usually very fine and has good flexibility – for example, fibre coming from the shearing of live vicunas. It also includes fibres from animal intestines used to make strings for tennis rackets.
FIN	fin	kilograms		fresh, frozen or dried fins and parts of fins (including flippers)
FIG	fingerlings	kilograms	number	live juvenile fish for the aquarium trade, aquaculture, hatcheries, consumption or for release, including live European eels (Anguila anguilla) up to 12 centimetres in length
FLO	flower	kilograms		flowers
FPT	flower pot	number		flower pots made from parts of a plant – for example, treefern fibres (note: live plants traded in so-called ‘community pots’ should be recorded as ‘live plants’, not as flower pots)
LEG	frog legs	kilograms		frog legs
FRU	fruit	kilograms		fruit
FOO	foot	number		feet – for example, of elephant, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, lion, crocodile
FPL	fur products (large)	number		large manufactured products of fur – for example, bear or lynx fur blankets or other fur products of a substantial size
FPS	fur product (small)	number		small manufactured products of fur – including handbags, key fobs, purses, pillows, trim
GAL	gall	kilograms		gall
GAB	gall bladder	number	kilograms	gall bladder
GAR	garment	number		garments – including gloves and hats but not shoes Includes trimming or decoration on garments.
GEN	genitalia	kilograms	number	castrates and dried penes
GIL	gill plates	kilograms	number	gill plates (for example, for sharks)
GRS	graft rootstock	number		graft rootstocks (without the grafts)
HAI	hair	kilograms	grams	hair – includes all animal hair, for example of elephant, yak, guanaco
HAP	hair products	number	grams	products made of hair (for example, elephant hair bracelets)
HOR	horn	number	kilograms	horns – includes antlers
JWL	jewellery	number	grams	jewellery – including bracelets, necklaces, and other items of jewellery from products other than ivory (for example, wood, coral)
IJW	jewellery – ivory (worked ivory)	number	grams	jewellery made of ivory – includes ekipas
KNL	kernel	kilograms		also known as ‘endosperm’, ‘pulp’ or ‘copra’
LPL	leather product (large)	number		large manufactured products of leather – for example, briefcases, furniture, suitcases, travel trunks
LPS	leather product (small)	number		small manufactured products of leather – for example, belts, braces, bicycle saddles, cheque book or credit card holders, handbags, key fobs, notebooks, purses, shoes, tobacco pouches, wallets, watch-straps and trim
LIV	live	number	kilograms	live animals and plants, excluding live fingerling fish – see fingerlings ‘FIG’
LVS	leaf	kilograms	number	leaves
LOG	logs	cubic metres		all wood in the rough, whether or not stripped of bark or sapwood, or roughly squared, for processing notably into sawn wood, pulpwood or veneer sheets Note: trade in logs of special purpose timbers traded by weight (for example, lignumcvitae, Guaiacum spp.) should be recorded in kilograms.
MEA	meat	kilograms		meat, including flesh of fish if not whole (see body ‘BOD’), fresh or unprocessed meat as well as processed meat (for example, smoked, raw, dried, frozen or tinned) The code for meat (MEA) should be used in preference for trade in eels for human consumption.
MED	medicine	kilograms or Iitres		medicine
MUS	musk	grams		musk
OIL	oil	kilograms	litres	oil – for example from turtles, seals, whales, fish, various plants
PRL	pearl	number		pearl (for example, for Strombus gigas)
KEY	piano keys (worked ivory)	number		ivory piano keys (for example, one standard piano would be 52 ivory piano keys)
BOP	piece – bone	kilograms		pieces of bone, not manufactured
HOP	piece – horn	kilograms		pieces of horn, not manufactured – includes scrap
IVP	piece – ivory (raw ivory)	kilograms		ivory pieces, not manufactured – includes scrap
PLA	plate	square metres		plates of multiple skins – includes rugs if made of several skins
PLY	plywood	square metres	cubic metres	material consisting of 3 or more sheets of wood glued and pressed one on the other and generally disposed so that the grains of successive layers are at an angle
POW	powder	kilograms		a dry, solid substance in the form of fine or coarse particles
PUP	pupae	number		butterfly pupae
ROO	root	number	kilograms	roots, bulbs, corms or tubers Note: for the agarwood-producing taxa Aqui/aria spp. And Gyrinops spp., the preferred unit is ‘kilograms’. The alternative unit is ‘number’.
RUG	rug	number		rugs
ROS	sawfish rostrum	number	kilograms	sawfish rostrum
SAW	sawn wood	cubic metres		wood simply sawn lengthwise or produced by a profile-chipping process – normally exceeds 6 millimeters in thickness Note: trade in sawn wood of special purpose timbers traded by weight (for example, lignum vitae, Guaiacum spp.) should be recorded in kilograms.
SCA	scale	kilograms		scales – for example of turtle, other reptiles, fish, pangolin
SEE	seed	kilograms		seeds
SHE	shell	number	kilograms	raw or unworked shell of molluscs
SID	side	number		sides or flanks of skins – does not include crocodilian Tinga frames (see skin ‘SKI’)
SKE	skeleton	number		substantially whole skeletons
SKI	skin	number		substantially whole skins, raw or tanned, including hides, crocodilian Tinga frames, external body lining, with or without scales
SKP	skin piece	kilograms	number	skin pieces – including scraps, raw or tanned
SKU	skull	number		skulls
SOU	soup	kilograms	litres	soup – for example of turtle
SPE	specimen (scientific)	kilograms or Iitres or millilitres or number		scientific specimens – includes blood, tissue (for example, kidney, spleen), histological preparations, preserved museum specimens
STE	stem	number	kilograms	plant stems Note: for the agarwood-producing taxa Aquilaria spp. and Gyrinops spp., the preferred unit is ‘kilograms’. The alternative unit is ‘number’.
SWI	swim bladder	kilograms		hydrostatic organ, including isinglass or sturgeon glue
TAI	tail	number	kilograms	tails – for example, of caiman (for leather) or fox (including for garment trimming, collars, boas), also includes flukes of cetaceans
TEE	tooth	number	kilograms	teeth – for example of whale, lion, hippopotamus, crocodile
TIM	timber	cubic metres	kilograms	raw timber except saw-logs, sawn wood and transformed wood
TRW	transformed wood	cubic metres	kilograms	defined by Harmonized System code 44.09: Wood (including strips, friezes for parquet flooring, not assembled), continuously shaped (tongued, grooved, v-jointed, beaded or the like) along any edges, ends or faces, whether or not planed, sanded or end-jointed
TRO	trophy	number		trophy – all the trophy parts of one animal if they are exported together: for example, 2 horns, a skull, cape, backskin, tail and feet (10 specimens) constitute one trophy But if, for example, the skull and horns are the only specimens of an animal that are exported, then these items together should be recorded as one trophy. Otherwise the items should be recorded separately. A whole stuffed body is recorded under body ‘BOD’. A skin alone is recorded under skin ‘SKI’. Trade in ‘full mount’, ‘shoulder mount’ and ‘half mount’, along with any corresponding parts of the same animal exported together on the same permit, should be reported as ‘1 TRO’
TRU	trunk	number	kilograms	elephant trunk Note: an elephant trunk exported with other trophy items from the same animal on the same permit as part of a hunting trophy should be reported as ‘TRO’.
TUS	tusk (raw ivory)	number	kilograms	substantially whole tusks, not worked Includes tusks of elephant, hippopotamus, walrus, narwhal, but not other teeth. Note: whole carved tusks should be reported as carving – ivory (see carving – ivory (worked ivory) ‘IVC’).
VEN VEN	veneer sheets – rotary veneer – sliced veneer	cubic metres square metres	kilograms kilograms	thin layers or sheets of wood of uniform thickness, usually 6 millimeters or less in thickness, usually peeled (rotary veneer) or sliced (sliced veneer), for use in making plywood, for veneering furniture, veneer containers, for example
WAX	wax	kilograms		wax
WPR	wood product	number	kilograms	manufactured wood products, including finished wood products such as furniture and musical instruments