Maoming Issues Export Handbook for Agarwood Under CITES Appendix II

Export Is More Than Just Shipping

According to the Maoming forestry bureau and Nanfang Daily, the city's agarwood industry task force recently issued the Pilot Handbook for Maoming Agarwood Export Procedures. All species of Aquilaria and Gyrinops are listed in CITES Appendix II, meaning cross-border trade requires a CITES export permit; customs will not release shipments without it.

The handbook comprises 13 chapters and 6 forms, linking forestry pre-approvals, customs registration, permit application, non-detriment findings, optional fumigation certification and final customs declaration into one closed loop, specifying who to contact, what documents to bring, how to proceed and how long each step takes. For cultivated agarwood registration, the process runs from village committee public notice through township review to forestry verification within 15 working days; yield assessment opinions take 10 working days and certificates of origin 5 working days.

Clear Rules on Cost and Eligibility

Administrative fees for approvals, registrations and permits issued by customs and forestry authorities are waived; companies mainly bear market-based costs such as third-party testing, fumigation and e-port cards. The handbook also clarifies that growers supply ownership, seedling origin and traceability documents, while export declarations must be filed by qualified agarwood export enterprises — individuals and small growers lack import-export credentials. Authorities advise reserving 90 calendar days for the full process.

This article is industry observation and educational summary only; it does not constitute trading or investment advice. Purchase agarwood only through legal channels with traceable and testable sources.