Taxidermy Import Specialist, Mainland China
Guide to the China Taxidermy Import Process
Why do you need a taxidermy import agent in China?
Unlike most other countries, China does not allow individuals to import taxidermy specimens, nor does it allow general import agents to handle the import formalities for taxidermy. Only licensed taxidermy import agents are permitted to handle taxidermy importation into China. For this reason, many Chinese hunters who go abroad and have their hunting trophies mounted come to find out when the taxidermy work is complete that there is no way for them to get these valued trophies home to China. This is where we at Beijing Hunting Trophy Import Company Ltd. can help.
​
Can you import protected species? What about CITES listed species?
Generally speaking, terrestrial species fall into four categories when it comes to the work involved to process import permits for mounted taxidermy work. These are non-protected species, China nationally protected species (non-CITES), CITES Appendix II & III listed species and CITES Appendix I listed species. Marine species are different and are handled differently. Regardless of which category the species falls into, with the exception of ivory and rhino horn, we can import any taxidermy work into China as long as the proper paperwork is provided.
Importing Mounted Taxidermy Work of Non-Protected Species
The process for importing non-protected species takes the least amount of time and paperwork, though a licensed taxidermy import agent is still required. Once the taxidermy mounts are completed and ready for export, we need copies of the following documents: Export Permit, Certificate of Origin, Veterinary Certificate, Commercial Invoice, Packing List (showing net weights of each item) and the Master Airway Bill (MAWB). Please note that we do not want a House Airway Bill, as this will cause a lot of problems when the shipment arrives in Beijing. Once we receive these six documents, we need about one week to process the import permit and then the shipment can be received in Beijing. Upon arrival we will be notified by China Customs and invoiced for the customs duties levied. The rates charged depend on the type of taxidermy work being imported. For example, the tax rate on rug mounts is much higher than that for shoulder mounts.
Imported Mounted Taxidermy Work of China National Protected Species
If the mounted species being imported are not listed under CITES Appendix I, II or III but are listed as China National Protected Species (elk and red deer, for example), then we must apply for a special permit and this adds a few days to the process, plus extra expenses. Furthermore, once these taxidermy mounts are received by our client in China, we will apply for a National ID Card (possession permit) for these mounts and deliver these to the client. For this we will need clear photographs of the taxidermy mount as well as some specific measurements. This ID Card must be attached to the mount with a cable device provided by the Chinese government with the ID Card.
Importing Mounted Taxidermy Work of CITES II & III Listed Species
For species that are listed under CITES Appendix II or III, the first step on our side is to receive the CITES export permit from the exporting country. If the CITES export permit purpose is “H” (Hunted), we also need several documents provided by the hunter: copies of the front and back of his China National ID Card, a copy of his passport (photo page), a copy of the pages in his passport showing entry and exit from the country where (and when) the hunt was conducted, a copy of the travel visa used to enter the country where (and when) the hunt was conducted, a copy of his hunting license or permit and a photo of the hunter with the trophy at the time of the hunt. If the purpose is “T” (Trade) or “P” (Personal), then the hunting and passport documents are not necessary (only the ID card front and back), but a commercial invoice showing the purchase of the taxidermy work and a photo of the mount are required. Once we receive these documents, our first step is to apply at the National Forestry Bureau for a permission letter to import these taxidermy mounts and this takes about one month to receive. Our next step, upon receipt of this permission letter, is to apply at the national CITES office. Finally, upon approval at the national level, we must apply at the local Beijing CITES office to get the import permit and we then email a copy of this to the exporter. At this time the final import process can begin and at this time we also need these documents: Certificate of Origin, Veterinary Certificate, Commercial Invoice, Packing List (showing net weights of each item) and the Master Airway Bill (MAWB). A week later the shipment can arrive in Beijing. As with National Protected Species, CITES-listed species also require a National ID Card (Possession Permit), which we apply for once the client receives his shipment and provides us with clear photos and measurements of each taxidermy mount.
Imported Mounted Taxidermy Work of CITES I Listed Species
For species listed under CITES Appendix I, the process is different from that described above in that CITES convention requires the importing country to first issue an import CITES certificate and the exporting country to issue an export CITES permit afterwards. Our first step in this case (for hunted trophies) is to apply at the China Forestry Bureau using copies of the front and back of the hunter’s China National ID Card, a copy of his passport (photo page), a copy of the pages in his passport showing entry and exit from the country where (and when) the hunt was conducted, a copy of the travel visa used to enter the country where (and when) the hunt was conducted, a copy of his hunting license or permit and a photo of the hunter with the trophy at the time of the hunt. If the taxidermy mount was not hunted, then we use copies of his ID card, the commercial invoice showing the purchase and a photo of the taxidermy mount to be imported. About one month after we apply, we will receive a permission letter from the China Forestry Bureau and we will proceed to get the CITES import permit the same way as with CITES Appendix II & III listed species. Upon receipt of the import permit, we will email a copy to the exporter so that he may apply for an export CITES permit. Within six months we will need to receive and clear the shipment (or else the permits will expire.) At that time, we will need the same documentation as listed under the process of importing taxidermy mounts for species listed under CITES Appendix II & III. Note that if the CITES I listed trophy is re-exported, then the process for the re-export permit is the same as for CITES II & III listed trophies (the export permit is processed before the import permit.) For example, if the trophy was hunted in one country and shipped to another country for taxidermy work, then the final export from the country where the taxidermy work was done to China requires a CITES I re-export permit and we need this before we can apply for the import permit.
Why Beijing Hunting Trophy Import Company Ltd?
Because Beijing Hunting Trophy Import Company Ltd. is located in Beijing, it makes the process much easier than if we were located in any other city in China because much of the paperwork must be submitted at the national level and these offices are located here in the capital city of China. This also means that all shipments must first arrive in Beijing to clear customs and from here we arrange for a truck to deliver the taxidermy mounts directly to whichever address our client provides within Mainland China.
If you are a taxidermy company, taxidermy freight-forwarding company or a Chinese hunter or buyer of taxidermy mounted specimens and if you are in need of help getting taxidermy trophies imported into Mainland China, please send us an email or give us a phone call. We are more than happy to answer any questions you may have and look forward to helping you with this process!
