(a) Purpose. CITES is not subject to general reservations. Articles XV, XVI, and XXIII of the Treaty allow a Party to enter a specific reservation on a species listed in Appendix I, II, or III, or on parts, products, or derivatives of a species listed in Appendix III.
(b) General provision. A Party can enter a reservation in one of the following ways:
(1) A Party must provide written notification to the Depositary Government (Switzerland) on a specific new or amended listing in the Appendices within 90 days after the CoP that adopted the listing, or at any time for Appendix-III species.
(2) A country must provide written notification on a specific species listing when the country ratifies, accepts, approves, or accedes to CITES.
(c) Requesting the United States take a reservation. You may submit information relevant to the issue of whether the United States should take a reservation on a species listing to the U.S. Management Authority. The request must be submitted within 30 calendar days after the last day of the CoP where a new or amended listing of a species in Appendix I or II occurs, or at any time for a species (or its parts, products, or derivatives) listed in Appendix III.
(d) Required CITES documents. Except as provided in paragraph (d)(2) of this section, Parties treat a reserving Party as if it were a non-Party for trade in the species concerned (including parts, products, and derivatives, as appropriate). The following table indicates when CITES documents must accompany a shipment and which Appendix should appear on the face of the document:
| If | Then |
|---|---|
| (1) The shipment is between a Party and a reserving Party, or the shipment is from a non-Party to a reserving Party and is in transit through a Party | The shipment must be accompanied by a valid CITES document(s) (see §23.26) that indicates the CITES Appendix in which the species is listed. |
| (2) The shipment is from a reserving Party to another reserving Party1 or non-Party and is in transit through a Party | The shipment must be accompanied by a valid CITES document(s) (see §23.26) that indicates the CITES Appendix in which the species is listed.2 |
| (3) The shipment is between a reserving Party and another reserving Party1 or non-Party and is not in transit through a Party | No CITES document is required.2 |
1Both reserving Parties must have a reservation for the same species, and if the species is listed in Appendix III, a reservation for the same parts, products, and derivatives.
2CITES recommends that reserving Parties treat Appendix-I species as if listed in Appendix II and issue CITES documents based on Appendix-II permit criteria (see §23.36). However, the CITES document must show the specimen as listed in Appendix I. If the United States entered a reservation, such a CITES document would be required.
(e) Reservations taken by countries. You may consult the CITES website or contact us (see §23.7) for a list of countries that have taken reservations and the species involved.
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