(a) Purpose. Article VII(1) of the Treaty allows for the transit of specimens through or within a Party country while the specimens remain under customs control.

(b) Definition. For purposes of this section, sample collection means a set of legally acquired parts, products, or derivatives of Appendix-II or -III species, or Appendix-I species bred in captivity or artificially propagated for commercial purposes, that will:

(1) Cross international borders only for temporary exhibition or display purposes and return to the originating country.

(2) Be accompanied by a valid ATA carnet and remain under customs control.

(3) Not be sold or otherwise transferred while traveling internationally.

(c) U.S. and foreign general provisions. The following general provisions apply to the issuance and acceptance of a CITES document for the movement of sample collections:

(1) The Management Authority in the country where the sample collection originated must issue a CITES document that:

(i) Clearly specifies that the document was issued for a “sample collection.”

(ii) Includes the condition in block 5, or an equivalent place, of the document that it is valid only if the shipment is accompanied by a valid ATA carnet and that the specimens must not be sold, donated, or otherwise transferred while outside the originating country.

(2) The number of the accompanying ATA carnet must be recorded on the CITES document, and if this number is not recorded by the Management Authority, it must be entered by a customs or other CITES enforcement official responsible for the original endorsement of the CITES document.

(3) The name and address of the exporter or re-exporter and importer must be identical, and the names of the countries to be visited must be indicated in block 5 or an equivalent place.

(4) The date of validity must not be later than that of the ATA carnet and the period of validity must not exceed 6 months from the date of issuance.

(5) At each border crossing, Parties must verify the presence of the CITES document, but allow it to remain with the shipment, and ensure that the ATA carnet is properly endorsed with an authorized stamp and signature by a customs official.

(6) The exporter or re-exporter must return the sample collection to the originating country prior to the expiration of the CITES document.

(7) Parties should check the CITES document and sample collection closely at the time of first export or re-export and upon its return to ensure that the contents of the sample collection have not been changed.

(8) For import into and export or re-export from the United States, the shipment must comply with the 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.

(d) U.S. application form. Complete Form 3-200-29 for wildlife and Form 3-200-32 for plants, and submit it to the U.S. Management Authority.

(e) Criteria. The criteria in this paragraph (e) apply to the issuance and acceptance of U.S. and foreign documents. When applying for a U.S. document, you must provide sufficient information for us to find that your proposed activity meets all of the following criteria:

(1) The specimens meet the definition of a sample collection as provided in paragraph (b) of this section.

(2) The wildlife or plant specimens must be securely marked or identified in such a way that border officials can verify that the CITES document, ATA carnet, and specimens correspond.

(f) U.S. standard conditions. In addition to the conditions in §23.56, you must meet all of the following conditions:

(1) You must transport the sample collection only for temporary exhibition or display purposes.

(2) You must not transfer or assign the CITES document to another person.

(3) You must not sell, donate, or transfer specimens while traveling internationally.

(4) You must present the CITES document and the ATA carnet to the official for validation at each border crossing.

(5) You must return the sample collection to the United States prior to the expiration of the CITES document.

(6) If the CITES document is lost, stolen, or accidentally destroyed, you may obtain a replacement certificate only from the U.S. Management Authority.

(7) If you no longer own the sample collection, or no longer plan to travel with the sample collection, you must immediately return the original document to the U.S. Management Authority.