Short answer
Several perfume materials come from species listed under CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, so moving them across borders in bulk needs permits. Agarwood (oud), rosewood (bois de rose), guaiacwood (Bulnesia), spikenard, East African sandalwood and — since March 5, 2026 — myrrh and opoponax (Commiphora) are in Appendix II; costus root and natural musk deer are in Appendix I. Each listing's annotation says which parts and products are covered: oils and extracts usually are, while finished perfumes packaged for retail often are not. Check the listing for every natural you import or export, and keep the permits with the lot.
How CITES works, in brief
- Appendix I — species threatened with extinction; commercial international trade is generally prohibited.
- Appendix II — trade is allowed with an export permit from the exporting country, issued when trade will not be detrimental to the species and the material was legally obtained.
- Appendix III — species listed by one country that asks others for help controlling trade; permits or certificates of origin are needed.
- Annotations — notes attached to a listing (marked with "#" in the Appendices) that say which parts and derivatives are covered. For perfumery, the annotation is often the most important part: it decides whether an oil, an extract or a finished perfume needs paperwork.
Each country implements CITES through its own law, sometimes more strictly — in the US through the Fish and Wildlife Service's regulations, in the EU through its wildlife trade regulations. Your national CITES authority issues the permits.
Perfume materials and their listings
| Material | Species | Appendix | What the annotation covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agarwood, oud | Aquilaria spp., Gyrinops spp. | II | All parts and derivatives, except among others seeds, fruits, leaves, exhausted agarwood powder, and finished products packaged and ready for retail trade (but not wood chips, beads, prayer beads and carvings) |
| Rosewood (bois de rose) | Aniba rosaeodora | II | Logs, sawn wood, veneer, plywood and extracts; finished products containing the extracts as ingredients, including fragrances, are not covered |
| Guaiacwood | Bulnesia sarmientoi | II | Logs, sawn wood, veneer, plywood, powder and extracts; finished products containing the extracts, including fragrances, are not covered |
| Spikenard (jatamansi) | Nardostachys jatamansi | II | All parts and derivatives except seeds, pollen, and finished products packaged and ready for retail trade |
| East African sandalwood | Osyris lanceolata | II | All parts and derivatives except seeds, pollen, and finished products packaged and ready for retail trade |
| Myrrh, opoponax | Commiphora (listed from March 5, 2026) | II | Extracts — including resins, gums and essential oils — and powder, except finished retail products such as perfumes, cosmetics, tinctures and other solutions, hydrolates, and manufactured incense sticks and cones |
| Red sandalwood (a dye wood, not a perfume sandalwood) | Pterocarpus santalinus | II | Logs, wood chips, powder and extracts |
| Costus root | Saussurea costus | I | Commercial trade generally prohibited |
| Natural musk | Moschus (musk deer) | I and II, by population | Animal product; see the listing |
| Ambergris (sperm whale) | Physeter macrocephalus | I | Sperm whale products; national law on ambergris varies |
| Civet | Civettictis civetta | III (Botswana) | See the listing |
Annotations are summarized here; read the full text in the Appendices before relying on them. Listings change at each Conference of the Parties — the Commiphora listing is recent — so check again before every new import.
What is not listed (at the time of writing)
- Frankincense (Boswellia) had no current CITES listing when checked.
- Indian sandalwood (Santalum album) had no current CITES listing; national rules in producing countries can still restrict its trade.
- Vanilla is an orchid, and orchids are listed, but the annotation exempts the fruits of artificially propagated or naturalized Vanilla and their parts and derivatives — which covers vanilla beans and extracts in trade.
For the wearer's view of frankincense, the RUŌOD Journal has frankincense in perfume. "Not listed" is not the same as "sustainable": overharvesting of sandalwood and frankincense is a recognized concern. See sandalwood and incense and resins.
What it means for a perfume business
- Buying in your own country from a supplier who imported legally usually needs no permit from you, but ask for evidence of legal origin and keep it.
- Importing or exporting bulk oil of a listed species — agarwood oil, rosewood oil, guaiacwood oil, myrrh oil from March 2026 — needs CITES documents at both ends.
- Exporting finished perfume containing these oils is often outside the listing where the annotation exempts finished retail products or fragrances; check the specific annotation, and note that oud wood chips and beads are explicitly not exempt.
- Incense and bakhoor makers should look closely at the Commiphora and Aquilaria annotations: raw resin and wood chips are covered, while some manufactured incense products are exempt (how to make bakhoor, how to make incense sticks).
Customs classification and other import paperwork are covered in HS codes for perfume; oud specifically in oud in perfumery.
Records
- Botanical name of every natural, not just its trade name (material names and CAS numbers).
- CITES status, checked date and the annotation that applies.
- Permit or certificate numbers for imported lots, and evidence of legal origin for domestic purchases.
- A where-used list, so you know which formulas depend on a listed material if a listing changes (find formulas using a material).
The documentation side is part of perfume raw material documentation. Animal-derived materials also bear on vegan claims (vegan and cruelty-free claims). For the wearer's view of oud and its history, the RUŌOD Journal has oud and the many lives of a material.
Sources
- UNEP-WCMC / CITES Secretariat — Species+: current CITES listings and annotations for Aquilaria, Gyrinops, Aniba rosaeodora, Bulnesia sarmientoi, Nardostachys jatamansi, Osyris lanceolata, Commiphora, Pterocarpus santalinus, Saussurea costus, Moschus, Physeter macrocephalus, Civettictis civetta, Orchidaceae (Vanilla), Boswellia and Santalum album; queried October 11, 2026.
- CITES — Appendices I, II and III (link format — the page blocked automated reading).
- eCFR — 50 CFR Part 23, the US implementation of CITES (link format).
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a CITES permit to sell a perfume containing oud?
Selling within your own country, generally no. Exporting finished perfume packaged for retail is exempt under the agarwood annotation; exporting oud oil in bulk, or wood chips, is not.
Is rosewood oil banned?
No. Aniba rosaeodora is in Appendix II: trade in its oil needs CITES permits, and fragrances containing it are not covered by the listing.
Does the new Commiphora listing affect my myrrh tincture?
The annotation exempts finished tinctures and perfumes packaged for retail. Importing or exporting myrrh resin or oil in bulk is covered from March 5, 2026.
Written and reviewed by the RUŌOD Lab team. This article is general education about perfume formulation and record-keeping; it is not legal, regulatory or safety advice, and the examples are illustrations, not validated commercial formulas. How we write and check these guides.