Title 50

SECTION 23.68

23.68 How can I trade internationally in roots of American ginseng

§ 23.68 How can I trade internationally in roots of American ginseng?

(a) U.S. and foreign general provisions. Whole plants and roots (whole, sliced, and parts, excluding manufactured parts, products, and derivatives, such as powders, pills, extracts, tonics, teas, and confectionery) of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius), whether wild or artificially propagated, are included in Appendix II. Cultivated American ginseng that does not meet the requirements of artificially propagated will be considered wild for export and re-export purposes. The import, export, or re-export of ginseng roots must meet the requirements of this section and other requirements of this part (see subparts B and C for prohibitions and application procedures). For specimens that were harvested from a State or Tribe without an approved CITES export program, see § 23.36 for export permits and § 23.37 for re-export certificates.

(b) Export approval of State and tribal programs. States and Tribes set up and maintain ginseng management and harvest programs designed to monitor and protect American ginseng from over-harvest. When a State or Tribe with a management program provides us with the necessary information, we make programmatic findings and have specific requirements that allow export under CITES. For wild ginseng, a State or Tribe must provide sufficient information for us to determine that its management program and harvest controls are appropriate to ensure that ginseng harvested within its jurisdiction is legally acquired and that export will not be detrimental to the survival of the species in the wild. For artificially propagated ginseng, a State or Tribe must provide sufficient information for us to determine that ginseng grown within its jurisdiction meets the definition of artificially propagated and the State or Tribe must have procedures in place to minimize the risk that the roots of wild-collected plants would be claimed as artificially propagated.

(1) A State or Tribe seeking initial CITES export program approval for wild or artificially propagated American ginseng must submit the following information on the adoption and implementation of regulatory measures to the U.S. Management Authority:

(i) Laws or regulations mandating licensing or registration of persons buying and selling ginseng in that State or on tribal lands.

(ii) A requirement that ginseng dealers maintain records and provide copies of those records to the appropriate State or tribal management agency upon request. Dealer records must contain: the name and address of the ginseng seller, date of transaction, whether the ginseng is wild or artificially propagated and dried or green at time of transaction, weight of roots, State or Tribe of origin of roots, and identification numbers of the State or tribal certificates used to ship ginseng from the State or Tribe of origin.

(iii) A requirement that State or tribal personnel will inspect roots, ensure legal harvest, and have the ability to determine the age of roots of all wild-collected ginseng harvested in the State or on tribal lands. State or tribal personnel may accept a declaration statement by the licensed or registered dealer or grower that the ginseng roots are artificially propagated.

(iv) A requirement that State or tribal personnel will weigh ginseng roots unsold by March 31 of the year after harvest and give a weight receipt to the owner of the roots. Future export certification of this stock must be issued against the weight receipt.

(v) A requirement that State or tribal personnel will issue certificates for wild and artificially propagated ginseng. These certificates must contain at a minimum:

(A) State of origin.

(B) Serial number of certificate.

(D) Dealer's shipment number for that harvest season.

(E) Year of harvest of ginseng being certified.

(F) Designation as wild or artificially propagated.

(G) Designation as dried or fresh (green) roots.

(H) Weight of roots.

(I) Statement of State or tribal certifying official verifying that the ginseng was obtained in that State or on those tribal lands in accordance with all relevant laws for that harvest year.

(J) Name and title of State or tribal certifying official.

(2) In addition, a State or Tribe seeking initial CITES export program approval for wild American ginseng must submit the following information to the U.S. Management Authority:

(i) An assessment of the condition of the population and trends, including a description of the types of information on which the assessment is based, such as an analysis of population demographics; population models; or analysis of past harvest levels or indices of abundance independent of harvest information, such as field surveys.

(ii) Historic, present, and potential distribution of wild ginseng on a county-by-county basis.

(iii) Phenology of ginseng, including flowering and fruiting periods.

(iv) Habitat evaluation.

(v) If available, copies of any ginseng management or monitoring plans or other relevant reports that the State or Tribe has prepared as part of its existing management program.

(3) A State or Tribe with an approved CITES export program must complete Form 3-200-61 and submit it to the U.S. Management Authority by May 31 of each year to provide information on the previous harvest season.

(c) U.S. application process. Application forms and a list of States and Tribes with approved ginseng programs can be obtained from our website or by contacting us (see § 23.7).

(1) To export wild or artificially propagated ginseng harvested under an approved State or tribal program, complete Form 3-200-34 or Form 3-200-74 for additional single-use permits under an annual program file.

(2) To export wild ginseng harvested from a State or Tribe that does not have an approved program, complete Form 3-200-32. To export artificially propagated ginseng from a State or Tribe that does not have an approved program, complete Form 3-200-33.

(3) To re-export ginseng, complete Form 3-200-32.

(4) For information on issuance criteria for CITES documents, see § 23.36 for export permits, § 23.37 for re-export certificates, and § 23.40 for certificates for artificially propagated plants.

(d) Conditions for export. Upon export, roots must be accompanied by a State or tribal certificate containing the information specified in paragraph (b)(1)(v) of this section.