Are you an e-commerce retailer who wants to import a pair of chic crocodile leather boots, ivory chess pieces, rare species of orchids, coral necklaces or other exotic items into Switzerland? But do you have the feeling that it might not be so easy, because some complicated Swiss customs regulations or other special rules could thwart your plans?
You’re correct! As an e-commerce retailer, you have to take the CITES convention on fauna and flora into account. “CITES? Like websites?” you might be wondering.
No, it’s nothing to do with websites. In this blog post, we will reveal the secrets of the CITES convention and explain what it is, how you can organize your cross-border e-commerce into Switzerland sensibly and efficiently, and what special provisions you have to observe in order to satisfy the customs authorities.
Do you already sell your products internationally and now also want to deliver to customers in Switzerland? Perhaps you already do? Then you already know that customs clearance for your goods can be quite complicated.
The right shipping solution can not only save time and money, but also massively reduce the complexity of customs procedures. In this way, you can reap the multiple benefits of optimized logistics.
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The jungle of bureaucracy and customs regulations is home to a very special convention known as CITES, which came into being in 1973. Its full name is the “Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora”, and it has now been adopted by almost every country in the world. It is an international agreement that regulates trade in endangered animal and plant species in order to protect them for posterity from poachers and other dangers.
As an e-commerce trader, you are sure to be interested in protecting cute parrots and turtles from extinction, so it is essential for you to fully understand the CITES treaty and its regulations for cross-border trade into Switzerland. Over 5,000 animal species and over 28,000 plant species are now protected by the CITES convention, so you should definitely check whether your goods are also affected.
But a good conscience and reputation are not the only reasons to follow the CITES regulations. If you do not comply with the CITES convention, you will soon encounter trouble with the customs authorities, problems with customs clearance for your goods and difficulty delivering to your customers on time. This means that cross-border imports into Switzerland can quickly become a headache that will strain your nerves and your wallet.
To ensure this doesn’t happen to you, we will look at how and where you can get the correct permit and other documents that meet the Swiss CITES Ordinance and what special provisions apply to CITES flora and fauna cross-border e-commerce.
The Swiss CITES Ordinance has a single purpose: to regulate the exploitation of wild and endangered animal and plant species and to ensure that crocodiles, rhinos and parrots still exist in 100 years’ time. For this reason, goods that contain the relevant animal and plant species must be properly certified when they are imported into Switzerland.
The CITES regulations cover three appendices. Appendix I represents the highest level of protection and lists around 1,000 animal species that are subject to a full trading ban. These include elephants (which means ivory chess pieces are prohibited!), rhinos, certain precious woods and some types of orchids. Species listed in Appendices II and III, such as cacti, crocodiles, wolves, most parrot species, etc., may be traded only in a certified and controlled manner.
In conclusion: when importing CITES goods into Switzerland, it is important that you remain well informed, well organized and well connected.
Let’s imagine you would like to import crocodile leather bags from Ghana into Switzerland.
Apart from species protection, which is a complex matter in itself, you will also have to organize efficient and proper customs clearance. A customs clearance process might proceed more or less as follows:
You will probably want to import your crocodile leather bags into Switzerland more than once and operate regular cross-border e-commerce for them. Constantly obtaining the relevant permits will become quite tiresome. In this case, you have the option of registering your commercial CITES import operations and applying for a permanent import permit. This allows you to import crocodile leather bags for two years without having to get a new permit every time!
Apart from complete bans (Appendix I), such as for ivory or shahtoosh shawls, which may not be imported almost without exception, there are special provisions for some permitted goods. It may be that you need additional import permits or that you are allowed to import only a limited amount at certain times of the year.
It would be impractical to list every possible rule with exceptions in this blog post. You must therefore look for suitable and up-to-date provisions for your specific case. As a general rule, you must be able to prove the origin or provenance of your goods and whether you are entitled to have possession of them.
To ensure the whole process runs smoothly and efficiently, it’s a good idea to hire an experienced customs agent or forwarder to help you comply with regulations and handle customs clearance processes.
This reduces your workload and avoids mistakes. When working with an expert, all you have to do is provide them with the following information:
If a CITES expert determines that your product is a CITES-critical product, they can work with you to determine what measures should be taken. A sensible measure might be to block the product in Switzerland because the whole process is not worth the aggravation.
If it is your core business or an essential part of your shop, you can initiate the appropriate approval process. Here, too, we recommend that you find competent support to avoid difficulties with logistics and in order to take into account opportunities and calculated risks right from the start.
You will have gathered that CITES is a complicated issue that poses many challenges for non-experts. Here are our recommendations to help you avoid any serious mistakes.
In conclusion: when importing CITES goods into Switzerland, it is important that you remain well informed, well organized and well connected
The CITES journey: problems and challenges in customs clearance in Switzerland
Of course, even with the best preparation in the world, mistakes can still happen during customs clearance. Of the many challenges that we cannot list in full, these three are typical:
Don’t let the specifications confuse you! Cross-border e-commerce with CITES goods can be profitable, it’s just a question of technology and a clever strategy! And don’t forget that the CITES Ordinance is not there just to annoy you, but to protect endangered animals and plants. Carbon-neutral delivery to Switerland makes your logistics even more sustainable and helps to protect the environment.
As an e-commerce retailer who wants to import exotic goods into Switzerland, you can find aspects of the CITES convention useful. Apart from ensuring that you are acting legally and avoiding penalties, you can tap into lucrative niche markets with little competition. The Swiss market in particular is extremely profitable and offers unique sales opportunities in the luxury segment.
If you comply with the protection regulations and can demonstrate that you have a valid permit, you are signalling to your customers that you are a responsible dealer who can be trusted. Sustainable and environmentally aware trading shows that you disclose where your goods come from, which can only be good for your image.
And a positive image in a niche market increases the likelihood of higher sales due to excellent customer loyalty. This includes word of mouth, repeat purchases and better search engine ratings.
Last but not least, you avoid delays, returns or confiscations by the Swiss customs authorities if you prepare for customs clearance meticulously. This not only optimizes your service quality and delivery times, but also saves massively on opportunity costs and general hassle. It also enables you to sell larger quantities, making your cross-border e-commerce business more efficient and profitable.
If you are importing CITES flora and/or CITES fauna goods into Switzerland, you will have to pay various fees in addition to VAT. These are set differently for the CITES flora and the CITES fauna product groups.
When importing CITES plants such as orchids from non-EU countries into Switzerland, you must pay a basic fee and an additional fee. The basic fee is CHF 50 per phytosanitary certificate. The additional fee depends on the number of items.
For example, a single orchid (one item) with a phytosanitary certificate would require a fee of CHF 60. Three orchids with a phytosanitary certificate would require a fee of CHF 80. If you are importing ten orchids from different production sites (two phytosanitary certificates with five items each) into Switzerland, the fee will be around CHF 200.
However, you do not necessarily have to be importing live plants to be subject to the CITES flora fee. For example, if you are selling sweaters with buttons made from CITES-protected precious wood, the fee is also due.
In addition, living plants must be physically inspected, with the inspection incurring an additional fee of CHF 60. A document check without physical inspection is CHF 30. The fees are not included in the customs declaration and are only added afterwards.
The fees for the inspection of animals and animal products during customs clearance of CITES fauna products are set by the competent authorities, in particular the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO). Inspection fees may vary depending on the type of product, the size of the shipment and the required inspection workload.
Depending on the nature of the imported CITES fauna products, the inspection may require either a physical examination of the goods or a review of the corresponding documentation. Fees may vary depending on the type and scope of the inspection.
The size of the shipment, the number of animals or animal products involved, the weight and the number of different CITES species can also affect the inspection fees.
In some cases, additional testing or analysis may be required to verify compliance with CITES and national regulations. This may apply, for example, to beef from countries with no ban on growth hormones. The cost of such testing or analysis may increase the inspection fees.
The competent authorities may also charge additional administrative fees for processing applications, issuing permits or certificates and conducting inspections.
The exact fees for the inspection of animals and animal products during customs clearance for CITES fauna products imported into Switzerland can vary massively. You should therefore obtain information from the competent authority in good time or get in touch with your CITES-competent forwarder.
Firstly, congratulations! You have learned about this extensive and complex topic and are now smarter than before.
You have just discovered how e-commerce retailers can import exotic animals and plants into Switzerland in a CITES-compliant manner. Key takeaways:
Now you are well informed and ready to get started as a CITES-compliant e-commerce retailer!
Or do you just want to know how to optimize your customs clearance and shipping?