Online (Internet) shopping and international mail to Australia
Does your purchase contain endangered species?
Exercise caution when buying or selling plant or animal products online
You may be purchasing products containing plants or animal derivatives that are listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), from overseas based companies or you may be unaware of inclusion of plant or animal products in your purchases e.g. complementary medicines.
Before you receive mail from overseas be sure that any plant or animal products included in the item you wish to purchase can be imported legally into Australia.
If a product made from CITES listed plant or animal products is sent to you from overseas and is not accompanied by the proper permits, it may be seized by Customs and you could face severe penalties (up to 10 years imprisonment and $110,000 fine).
Did you know?
Complementary or traditional medicine such as hoodia is widely promoted, and traded as a weight loss ingredient. Hoodia products are often promoted and traded via the internet.
Hoodia is a plant species that has been included in the endangered species list (CITES list) in response to the decline in its wild populations from unregulated international trade.
More information
- How to export and import endangered plants and animals
- How to import and export wildlife and wildlife products
- Bringing po chai or chi kit into Australia
- Bringing shark products into Australia
- How to export and import CITES plants and animals
- Butterfly specimens
- Caviar
- Complementary medicines
- Crocodiles
- Elephant products
- Get the facts on Hoodia
- Hunting trophies
If in doubt - check it out!
Don't know whether the product you intend to buy contains CITES regulated plants or animals?
Check with us before you buy.
Seized items
Seized items made from endangered species — ivory, black coral, python skin and turtle shell
