Please read if you use real peacock feathers and you do international shipping

[Former_Member]

Just in case you did not know, the common India blue peafowl is now on the CITES Appendix III list. You are no longer allowed to import or export their feathers or goods made with their feathers paperwork free. I contacted FWS to get information on what I need to do on my end to legally ship a headband overseas. Here is their reply.

Thank you for your inquiry regarding the exportation of products manufactured with peacock feathers that will require clearance by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Our mission is, working with others, to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.

Since you intend to export these products manufactured with peacock feathers for commercial purposes, consistent with our definition of commercial, regulations contained in Title 50, of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 14.91, require that they must obtain an import/export license prior to engaging in business as an importer or exporter of wildlife or wildlife products. The license is valid for one year from the date of issuance and costs $100.00. In addition, as an import/export license holder, you must pay an inspection fee for each wildlife shipment imported or exported under the license, regardless of the quantity of products in a given shipment For information on inspection fees and how to calculate the inspection fee that the U.S. exporter will be required to pay, they can visit our website at:
www.fws.gov/le/pdf/FeeCalculationChart.pdf

Any wildlife shipment would be considered commercial if the shipment is being imported or exported " related to the offering for sale or resale, purchase, trade, barter, or the actual or intended transfer in the pursuit of gain or profit, of any item of wildlife and includes the use of any wildlife article as an exhibit for the purpose of soliciting sales."

You can view our complete definition of commercial at the following website: ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=2a9652dc6b37e04aa...

You can find the application for an import/export license on our website at the following address: www.fws.gov/forms/3_200_3.pdf

You must submit your import/export license application to the regional permit office that serves the region where your business is located. You can find contact information for our regional permit offices on our website at:http://www.fws.gov/le/regional-permit-offices.html We suggest that you contact the appropriate regional permit office to discuss the processing time for your application.

An import/export license only authorizes the importation or exportation of wildlife or wildlife products in general terms. Please be advised that this license is in addition to, and not in place of, any other licenses or permits required for protected species of wildlife.

The peacock, Pavo cristatus, is a protected species and is included in Appendix III under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). CITES is an international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. The species covered by CITES are listed in three appendices according to the degree of protection they need. Appendix I includes species threatened with extinction. Trade in specimens of these species is permitted only in exceptional circumstances. Appendix II includes species not necessarily threatened with extinction, but for which trade must be controlled in order to avoid overutilization that may threaten them with extinction. Appendix III contains species that are protected in at least one country, which has asked other CITES Party countries for assistance in controlling the trade in that species.

The CITES listing of the peacock applies to the international transportation of peacock feathers from any country.

You must obtain a valid CITES export permit issued by our CITES Management Authority in order to export these products manufactured with peacock feathers out of United States.

You can find the application to export these products manufactured with peacock feathers on our website at: www.fws.gov/forms/3-200-23.pdf

Please contact our CITES Management Authority at the following website:managementauthority@fws.gov or at telephone: (800) 358-2104, with further questions regarding the completion or processing of this application.

As you prepare to export these products manufactured with peacock feathers out of the United States, you must also complete Form 3-177, Declaration for Importation or Exportation of Fish or Wildlife. You can find this form on our website at the following address: www.fws.gov/le/pdf/3177_1.pdf This form is not difficult to complete. .

We do allow the filing of Form 3-177 on-line using our eDecs system. You can view information on our eDecs system on our website at: edecs.fws.gov/.

If you have additional questions regarding the use of our eDecs system, we suggest that you contact our wildlife inspectors at the port where you will be exporting these products manufactured with peacock feathers for assistance. You can find contact information for our wildlife inspectors on our website at the following address: www.fws.gov/le/ImpExp/inspectors.htm

Please have this form completed and have it, your original U.S. CITES export permit, a copy of your import/export license, and these products manufactured with peacock feathers available for inspection as you prepare to export them out of the United States.

You must export these products manufactured with peacock feathers at a designated port. You can find a list of designated ports, and contact information for our wildlife inspectors at those ports, on our website at the following address: www.fws.gov/le/designated-ports.html We suggest that you contact in advance our wildlife inspectors at the port where you will be exporting these products manufactured with peacock feathers in order to coordinate their clearance out of the United States.

Hybrids of CITES-listed species would be regulated under the higher species appendix listing. For example, a hybrid of Pavo muticus, which is CITES Appendix II-listed, with Pavo cristatus, which is CITES Appendix III-listed, would be regulated as a CITES Appendix II-listed species.

Thank you for your cooperation in complying with our regulations that help protect fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats. Please feel free to respond to this message with any further inquiries that you may have regarding this matter.