What Is the Role of CITES in Protecting Oud?
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When oud trees became threatened, an international tool stepped in to regulate their trade: the CITES convention. It is the line of defense that balances allowing trade with protecting the species from extinction. In this article we open the regulation and responsible trade section by understanding the role of CITES in protecting oud: what it is, how it covers oud, and what it actually achieves.
What is the CITES convention?
CITES is an international convention that regulates the cross-border trade of threatened species, arranging them in three appendices according to the level of risk:
| The appendix | Level of protection |
|---|---|
| Appendix I | The most at risk; commercial trade is prohibited |
| Appendix II | Trade allowed but regulated by permits — where oud sits |
| Appendix III | Protection at the request of a particular country |
Oud within CITES
Oud trees — of the Aquilaria and Gyrinops genera — were listed in Appendix II of the CITES convention in 2004, as threatened species that need regulation rather than prohibition. Under this listing, exporting oud across borders came to require official permits issued by competent national authorities, proving that the oud was gathered in a lawful and sustainable way that does not harm the survival of the species. The convention does not close the door on trade; it governs it.
CITES stands for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, and more than one hundred and eighty countries have joined it, making it one of the most widely agreed tools for protecting nature around the world.
What does CITES achieve for oud?
CITES achieves three things at once: it keeps the trade alive so producers and communities benefit, it ensures that the oud in circulation came from a lawful source, and it pushes toward sustainability by preventing destructive gathering. This draws the line between legal and illegal trade, and makes responsible sourcing possible and documented. Whoever buys Indonesian oud from a source that abides by regulation can be assured of the legality of what they acquire.
Oud's place in Appendix II rather than Appendix I means its trade is allowed as long as it is regulated by permits. The aim is not to end the oud trade, but to ensure it continues without wiping out the wild species.
Conclusion
CITES is the international framework that regulates the oud trade; it listed oud in Appendix II in 2004, so its export came to require permits that guarantee its legality and sustainability without banning the trade. In this way CITES balances protecting the species with the continuation of responsible trade. At Oud Treasure, we are committed to oud from organized, documented sources.
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