China's Rosewood Market Survey

In TRAFFIC’s Rosewood Products and Consumption research, 32% of 3,160 survey respondents indicated they had previously purchased rosewood products. This relatively large proportion reflects the increase in wealth and disposable income of China’s middle classes in recent years and an associated desire for rosewood items as a celebration of tradition, culture, and expression of individual status and wealth. Uses associated with this include rosewood furniture and arts and crafts items for household display, as well as for collectables and investments.

Most rosewood species have dropped in price since the peak of 2013, however, trade in selected rosewood species and high-value Hongmu species reached a second price peak ahead of CITES CoP17 in 2016, when all Dalbergia spp. and some other rosewood species were listed in Appendix II, followed by a significant price decline in 2017. Industry representatives and others interviewed for this study attributed this price decline to overstocking of some rosewood products alongside the slowdown in China’s real estate market.

Based on the analysis and discussion, the report recommends the following actions:

• Ensure Sustainable Harvesting
• Ensure Proof of Legality 
• Monitor trade hotspots
• Incorporate existing systems 
• Co-operate with partners in range stats 
• Use native species in plantations
• Consider new verification mechanisms 
• Implement public education and consumption guides
• Influence others by cracking down on wildlife smuggling

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