A decision reached in Geneva on November 4 has lifted trade sanctions on Laos, a Southeast Asian nation that was barred from commercial trade in CITES-listed species since 2023. Global wildlife trade regulator CITES has lifted trade sanctions against Laos, opening the door for the Southeast Asian nation to resume trade of long-tailed macaques and other species. ([1]) The reversal arrives while investigators are still documenting the trade the sanctions were meant to curb.
What the decision changes
The practical effect is significant but narrower than a full reopening might suggest. While Laos will now be able to trade in CITES-listed animals without special restriction, it does not end the review process for Laos. Several details define what happens next:
- Laos can again export CITES-listed animals without the blanket restriction imposed in 2023.
- Trade in long-tailed macaques carries separate conditions. CITES established separate safeguards for trade in long-tailed macaques used in biomedical research.
- The lifting does not confer export rights on individual businesses. According to Laos’ forestry director, Somvang Phimmavong, lifting the sanctions does not in itself grant export permits to any company.
Ongoing oversight will determine whether Laos keeps that access. The country’s annual illegal trade report lists enforcement actions, and CITES will continue to check compliance with the convention’s rules.
Why conservationists say it is too soon
The sharpest objections came before the vote. The Environmental Investigation Agency argued that withdrawing the suspension was premature, pointing to enforcement that had not yet reached the people running the businesses involved. Where enforcement action against retail outlets has occurred, there is no information to show that the actual businesses and owners of these outlets have been targeted. ([2]) The group also cited the illegal trade of tigers from tiger farms including to neighbouring countries and the continued sale of tigers, pangolins and other CITES Appendix-I listed species online and in retail outlets.
Concern extends beyond the regulatory paperwork. Mongabay’s investigation with the NGO GI-TOC identified 35 illegal wildlife shopping sites in Vientiane and Luang Prabang, and a follow-up found the trade still expanding. The spread of illegal wildlife shopping sites may make it harder for Laos to get off the CITES blacklist. ([3]) Some enforcement activity has been recorded. Laos’ annual report to CITES recorded 13 seizures from December 2024 through June 2026, as well as the seizure of more than 1,755 kilograms of ivory in Bolikhamxay province in August. ([4]) Critics argue that seizures alone do not show the networks behind the trade have been dismantled.
A partial step, and a test ahead
This is not the first loosening of the restrictions. In 2025, the ban was partially lifted for certain plant species after Laos made some progress implementing recommendations from CITES, including a 2025 prime ministerial order for “increased strictness” regarding trade in endangered species. The latest decision goes further by restoring trade in animals, which is why it has drawn such close attention.
Officials in Laos have framed the change as a step in a longer process. In an email to Mongabay, Phimmavong wrote that sustained progress requires continued investigations, prosecutions, demand reduction and effective oversight of wildlife facilities. Those words set a clear benchmark. Whether the country meets it, particularly in prosecuting the owners behind the shops, will likely determine whether the reopening holds or whether the sanctions return.
