Mapping the global dimensions of US wildlife imports

Abstract

Wildlife trade remains a major driver of accelerating global biodiversity loss, yet our knowledge of this trade remains fragmented. Our understanding of trade origins and flows is particularly poor, which prevents decision makers from identifying trends or assessing law enforcement efficacy. We assess the global dimensions of trade into the US across multiple taxonomic groups over two decades. We analyze geographic patterns to identify the origins of traded wildlife, including in endemic and threatened species. We identify major inconsistencies in provenance of wild species exports, as many traded species are labeled "wild," but not native to the country of export. The European Union represents a major source of arachnids and reptiles, many declared as wild. We further highlight a range of likely reporting errors, potential species laundering, and possible Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) violations. Counteracting biodiversity threats posed by the global wildlife trade requires better data, better standardization, and clear interventions to manage trade sustainably.

Keywords: biodiversity threats; conservation; endangered species; illegal trade; international trade; laundering; sustainability; sustainable use; threatened species; wild species; wildlife trade.