Conserving Musk Deer the Uses of Musk and Europe's Role in its Trade (pdf, 360 kb)

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Figure 3

The 12 major exporting and re-exporting countries and territories and the amounts of raw musk

exported by each, 1978-96, as reported by the exporting countries and territories themselves and

by destination countries

Notes:

CH: Switzerland; DE: Germany; FR: France; HK: Hong Kong; KG: Kyrgyzstan; KH: Cambodia; MN:

Mongolia; NP: Nepal; RU: Russia; SG: Singapore; SU: Soviet Union; UZ: Uzbekistan

.

Source: WCMC, January 1998.

Detailed statistics for each of the exporting or re-exporting countries that traded more than 100 kg of raw

musk from 1978 to 1996 are presented in Appendix 1.

From 1978 to 1996, the major importing countries of raw musk were South Korea, Hong Kong, France,

Singapore, Japan and Canada, each with a total import volume of more than 100 kg (see Tables 6 and 7

and Figure 4).  The origin of the musk that Cambodia re-exported was not recorded and remains unknown. 

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

FR

CH

DE

NP

MN

KG

UZ

RU

SU

SG

HK

KH

Imports reported

Exporting countries/territories

Exported musk (Kg)

Exports reported

---

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Table 6

Seven countries and territories that exported or re-exported more than 100 kg of musk,

1978-96, and the corresponding importers

Country/

Country/ 

Quantity

Country/territory of

Quantity (kg), as 

territory

territory of

(kg), as reported

import, as reported

reported by country/

of export

import, as

by country/

by country/territory

territory of import

/re-export

reported by

territory of

of import

country/territory

export

of export

Hong Kong

Japan

260

France

39.62

France

139

Japan

14

Canada

123

Switzerland

10

South Korea

23

Singapore

6

Switzerland

17

South Korea

1

Singapore

10.5

China

10

USA

10

North Korea

1

Taiwan

0.38

Cambodia

South Korea

412

Mongolia

South Korea

350

Soviet Union

Hong Kong

171

Hong Kong

332.14

Singapore

61

France

22.02

Japan

36

Singapore

10

France

15

Russia

Germany

58.4

Germany

58.682

Hong Kong

48.8

Hong Kong

30.2

Switzerland

39.3

Singapore

17

Singapore

19

South Korea

5

South Korea

6.25

Switzerland

2

China

1

Uzebekistan*

South Korea

126

Kyrgyzstan**

South Korea

125

Notes:

* Uzbekistan is not a range State of musk deer, and is not a valid “Country of Origin” for raw musk, although that it is

indicated as such in the CITES tabulations that were analysed.  South Korea, a destination country, recorded imports

“originating” from this country in 1994 and in 1995, but these must refer to re-exports of  musk by Uzbekistan that origi-

nated from elsewhere - most probably in the Russian Federation. 

** Musk deer may occur in Kyrgyzstan in very low numbers, and it would appear unlikely that 125 kg of  musk could

be harvested in the country.  The amounts of musk that were reportedly exported from the country may therefore

actually have originated elsewhere - in all likelihood in the Russian Federation.

Source: WCMC, January 1998.

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Figure 4

The 10 major destination countries and territories for raw musk and the amounts imported by

each, 1978-96, as reported by the destination countries and territories themselves and by

exporting countries

Notes

: CA: Canada; CH: Switzerland; CN: China; DE: Germany; FR: France; HK: Hong Kong; JP: Japan; KR: South

Korea; SG: Singapore; US: USA. 

Source: WCMC, January 1998.

Of the major importers, only Hong Kong, Singapore and Cambodia re-exported significant quantities of

raw musk from 1978 to 1996.  South Korea, France and Japan appear to have consumed most of their

imported musk, or to have manufactured derivatives for re-export (Table 7).  The quantities of derivatives

exported from South Korea and Japan are far lower than the amounts exported from China.  South Korea

reported obtaining the musk it imported mainly from Cambodia, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan (a

non-range State).

Detailed statistics of each of the countries that imported more than 100 kg of musk, 1978-96, are presented

in Appendix 2.

Data other than those in CITES annual reports indicate that in the 1970s and early 1980s, Japan was the

largest importer of musk, accounting for 85% of global trade (Green, 1986). Then, as now, Hong Kong

was the international centre of raw musk re-exports.  From 1983 to 1989, Japan maintained a reservation

on musk deer that were listed in Appendix II of CITES and consequently did not report any trade data to

the CITES Secretariat during this period.  However, about 275 kg, with a market value of about US$4.2

million, were imported annually into Japan during the period 1974-83, according to Green (1986). Official

Japanese trade figures indicated that between 215 kg and 300 kg of raw musk were imported to Japan from

China annually from 1981 to 1985 (Green, 1989).  Before the 1970s, Japan imported much raw musk from

India and Nepal (Green, 1989).

Regional project studies by TRAFFIC are expected to yield further information about Asia’s role in the

musk trade.

0

100

200

300

400

500

US

CA

CH

DE

FR

CN

JP

SG

HK

KR

Importing countries/territories

Impor

ted m

usk (Kg)

up to

Imports reported

Exports reported

1078.5 kg

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