Climate

Wildlife trade regulator CITES lifts sanctions against Laos, prompting conservation concerns

Read full article at source ↗

Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 12/11/2026, 03:39:24 UTC.

Briefings

Global wildlife trade regulator CITES lifted sanctions against Laos on November 4, 2026, allowing the country to resume trade in long-tailed macaques and other species. This follows a 2023 sanction for failing to curb illegal wildlife networks and regulate bear bile/tiger farms. While Laos claims significant progress, a 2025 Mongabay investigation found 35 illegal wildlife shops in Vientiane and Luang Prabang selling ivory, rhino horn, and pangolin scales to Chinese tourists. Ongoing monitoring will determine future export eligibility.

Key points

• CITES lifted sanctions against Laos on November 4, 2026, permitting trade in long-tailed macaques and other species.
• Illegal wildlife trade in Laos remains severe, with 35 shops identified in 2025 selling ivory, rhino horn, and pangolin scales to Chinese tourists.

Context

Laos was sanctioned in 2023 for failing to rein in criminal networks trading illegal wildlife products with impunity and for not regulating bear bile and tiger farms. The lifting of sanctions allows trade without special restriction, but ongoing monitoring will determine future export eligibility.

Limitations

Evidence is limited to a single article from Mongabay published November 2026. The 2025 investigation identified 35 shops but does not provide a count for July 2026, nor does it specify the number of shops identified in 2024. The article does not name specific individuals, provide direct quotes, or offer causal claims about the sanctions' effectiveness.

Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 12/11/2026, 03:40:24 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.

View archived briefing on IPFS
bafybeicsrctadmxe662xprab67fsf4zjovvqxbngzmxbkhd4ajo6wdjhmm