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

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Table 7

Six destination countries and territories that each imported more than 100 kg of raw musk,

1978-96, and the associated exporting countries 

Source: WCMC, January 1998.

Country/

Country/ 

Quantity

Country/territory of

Quantity (kg), as 

territory

territory of

(kg), as reported

export, as reported

reported by country/

of import

export, as

by country/

by country/territory

territory of export

reported by

territory of

of export

country/territory

import

of import

Hong Kong

Soviet Union

332.14

Soviet Union

171

Russia

30.2

Russia

48.78

Singapore

13

Germany

32

Germany

10

Singapore

13

France

7

France

7

Japan

7

Singapore

Russia

17

Soviet Union

61

Germany

10

Germany

26

Soviet Union

10

Russia

18.991

Hong Kong

6

Hong Kong

10.537

South Korea

Cambodia

412

Hong Kong

23

Mongolia

350

Singapore

15

Uzbekistan

126

Russia

6.245

Kyrgyzstan

125

Switzerland

5

Singapore

54

Switzerland

5

Russia

5

Hong Kong

1

China

0.5

Japan

Hong Kong

14

Hong Kong

259.5

South Korea

2.25

Soviet Union

36

Singapore

2

Singapore

13

France

0.17

South Korea

2.387

China

1

France

Hong Kong

39.62

Hong Kong

138.52

Soviet Union

22.02

Soviet Union

15.02

Nepal

20.1

Switzerland

6

Switzerland

12

Singapore

2.925

Singapore

2

Senegal

1

Canada

Hong Kong

122.518

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Trade in and from the Soviet Union and the CIS republics

As stated, the Soviet Union and its successors Russia, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan emerge from the data

compiled by WCMC as some of the main exporting countries for raw musk.  According to the data, the

Soviet Union exported 364.16 kg of raw musk, based on reports from countries of import, and 283.02 kg,

according to reports from the Soviet Union itself, in the period 1978-92 (Figure 5).  The largest quantities

were exported in the years 1985-88. 

Figure 5

Quantities of raw musk exported from the Soviet Union in the period 1978-92, as reported by the

Soviet Union itself and by importing countries and territories

Source: WCMC, January 1998.

The Soviet Union’s main partners in the musk trade, 1978-92, were Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan and

France (see Table 6). 

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Russia, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan were the only CIS

States that were reported to be trading in musk.  According to WCMC data, Russia exported 112.88 kg of

raw musk, according to the countries of import, and 172.67 kg, according to Russia itself, during the

period 1992-96 (see Figure 6 ).  The rise in exports during 1995 is significant.

Russia’s musk trading partners from 1992 to 1996 were Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, China,

Germany and Switzerland (see Table 6).  Germany and Switzerland have only been involved in the world

trade in musk since the early 1990s, but became leaders in the trade with Russia after just a few years.

In 1994, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan exported 125 kg and 126 kg of raw musk, respectively, as reported

by the sole country of import, South Korea (see Table 6). 

0

20

40

60

80

100

'92

'91

'90

'89

'88

'87

'86

'85

'84

'83

'82

'81

'80

'79

'78

Year

Exported musk (Kg)

Imports reported

Exports reported

---

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Figure 6  

Quantities of raw musk exported from Russia in the period 1992-96, as reported by Russia itself

and by importing countries and territories 

Source: WCMC, January 1998.

Russia’s export quotas for musk

Russia first informed the CITES Secretariat of its annual export quotas for musk in 1995.  These quotas

are communicated to the Parties by the Secretariat in the form of Notifications, according to which

Russia’s export quotas have included the following:

1995: 70 kg musk, of which 50 kg was to be from 6000 musk deer in 1995 and 20 kg from previous years

(Notification No. 874)

1996: 40 kg musk (Notification No. 916)

1997: 40 kg musk (Notification No. 994)

1998: 35 kg musk (Notification No. 1998/07)

Total exports from Russia in 1996 did not exceed the annual export quota according to the available CITES

trade data (see Figure 6).  In 1995, however, Russia’s own export data suggest that the exported volume

exceeded the quota for that year by about 25 kg.

It is possible that the gradually falling export quotas reflect the fact that Siberian Musk Deer populations

in the territory of present-day Russia could have declined by up to 50-60% since 1990-93, to current levels

of between 53 000 and 60 000 individuals (Prikhod‘ko, 1997) (see Population in the Soviet Union and

Russia).

Trade to and from Germany, France and Switzerland

Germany, France and Switzerland are the only countries in Europe which report importing musk.  Data on

France’s trade in musk have been available since 1980.  Switzerland and Germany first appeared in CITES

0

20

40

60

80

100

'96

'95

'94

'93

'92

Year

Exported musk (Kg)

Imports reported

Exports reported

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