What is CITES?
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is an agreement governing international trading of endangered plant and animal species. Those protected under CITES are ranked in three appendices (I, II and III) according to the level of protection required per species given the urgency of the threat they face. International trading of endangered species may be permitted, prohibited or subject to certain conditions depending on the appendix in which they are listed. The trade in some wood varieties is also affected by these restrictions. Signatory countries meet regularly to assess and update the status of species listed in the appendices.
CoP19 in Panama City
The 19th Conference of Parties (COP19) took place in Panama City from 14 to 25 November 2022. A total of 52 proposals were discussed, some of which concerned the wood industry. The tropical wood varieties Ipé (Handroanthus, Roseodendron and Tabebuia) and Cumaru (Dipteryx) are now listed in Appendix II, which means that from now on they will be protected under the terms of CITES, with trade regulated in order to prevent a level of over-harvesting that would threaten their survival. In concrete terms, the development allows for continuing international trade, but requires each shipment to be accompanied by a valid export permit.
Carpentier does not supply tropical hardwoods, but instead opts for sustainable alternatives
At Carpentier, we exclude tropical hardwoods from our assortment, which means that we do not supply decking boards of exterior cladding in Ipé or Cumaru. We have made a deliberate decision to provide sustainable alternatives to these varieties, such as HOTwood ash, HOTwood oak, HOTwood bamboo and Accoya. All of these environmentally responsible wood varieties are sourced from sustainably managed forests, and all meet the requirements for the highest durability class, which means they will last for at least 20 years in outdoor use.
