Wholesale caviar sourcing: CITES permits, labels and import checks
Short answer: every tin of sturgeon caviar in international trade — farmed or wild — needs a CITES label and travels on a CITES export permit, and the importing country applies its own wildlife and food-safety checks on top. Before comparing offers, confirm the species code, the source code, the processing plant's registration and that the permits can be issued for your volume.
Prepared by the FishMatch Group editorial team · official sources checked 21 October 2026 · English only · general orientation, not legal advice.
What counts as caviar
Under CITES, caviar is the processed unfertilised roe of sturgeons and paddlefish (order Acipenseriformes). Two species are in Appendix I and all others in Appendix II. Salmon, trout and lumpfish roe are not sturgeon caviar and fall outside these CITES rules, although customs codes may group them as "caviar substitutes".
Sources: CITES Resolution Conf. 12.7 (Rev. CoP17) — sturgeons and paddlefish, incl. caviar labelling (Annexes 1–2) · CITES Appendices (Acipenseriformes)
Two sets of rules: wildlife and food safety
| Topic | Wildlife trade (CITES) | Food safety |
|---|---|---|
| What it protects | Sturgeon and paddlefish populations (CITES) | Consumer health (food of animal origin) |
| Exporter side | CITES export or re-export permit; plant registered with the CITES authority; labelled tins | Eligible country and establishment; official health certificate where the destination requires it |
| EU entry | EU import permit (Regulation 338/97) from the member state's CITES authority | Listed establishment, health certificate, border control post and TRACES pre-notification |
| US entry | CITES documents, USFWS declaration (Form 3-177), USFWS import/export licence for commercial trade, designated port | FDA seafood rules (HACCP, Prior Notice) |
Sources: European Commission — wildlife trade (Regulations 338/97 and 865/2006) · European Commission — EU entry conditions for food of animal origin · US Fish and Wildlife Service — caviar and meat of paddlefish or sturgeon under CITES · US Fish and Wildlife Service — information for importers and exporters. Food-safety details by country: seafood import readiness.
How to read a CITES caviar label
The processing plant in the country of origin puts a non-reusable label on every tin or jar. It must show, at minimum:
- Standard species code (e.g. BAE)
- Source code (W, C or F)
- ISO two-letter code of the country of origin
- Year of harvest
- Official registration code of the processing plant
- Lot identification number
The CITES model label is HUS/W/RU/2000/xxxx/yyyy. A repackaging plant applies a new label with its own registration code. The same details must appear on the export permit or re-export certificate, and caviar should not be re-exported more than 18 months after the original export permit was issued.
Source codes
- W —
- Taken from the wild
- C —
- Bred in captivity (CITES definition)
- F —
- Born in captivity but not meeting the bred-in-captivity definition — e.g. from a female born in captivity where at least one parent came from the wild
Species codes common in aquaculture
- BAE — Acipenser baerii, Siberian sturgeon
- GUE — Acipenser gueldenstaedtii, Russian sturgeon (sold as osetra/oscietra)
- TRA — Acipenser transmontanus, White sturgeon
- SCH — Acipenser schrenckii, Amur sturgeon
- DAU — Huso dauricus, Kaluga
- HUS — Huso huso, Beluga
Source: CITES Resolution Conf. 12.7 (Rev. CoP17) — sturgeons and paddlefish, incl. caviar labelling (Annexes 1–2), Annexes 1 and 2. Some countries add stricter rules for particular species — check with your CITES Management Authority before ordering.
Caviar trade in 2024 (HS 160430)
This customs code covers caviar and caviar substitutes together, so it overstates sturgeon caviar and cannot be used to estimate a price per kilo. CITES recommends using the full eight-digit national code where available.
| Reporter | 2024 value | Quantity | Read with care |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | US$82 million | 1,672 t | |
| European Union | US$58 million | 1,518 t | Aggregate; France and Germany below are inside it. |
| France | US$45 million | 1,860 t | EU member. |
| Germany | US$43 million | 1,493 t | EU member. |
| Japan | US$38 million | 2,336 t | |
| Korea, Rep. | US$28 million | 2,289 t |
| Reporter | 2024 value | Quantity | Read with care |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | US$145 million | 4,398 t | |
| European Union | US$94 million | 1,788 t | Aggregate. |
| Germany | US$67 million | 1,872 t | EU member. |
| Japan | US$64 million | 2,190 t | |
| France | US$26 million | 248 t | EU member. |
| Italy | US$24 million | 79 t | EU member. |
What to put in a caviar request
- Species and code: Scientific name and CITES species code (e.g. BAE, GUE, TRA); no species mixing except pressed caviar.
- Source code: C or F for farmed product; ask which applies and why.
- Product: Bead size and colour as the producer defines them (there is no universal grade), salt content, pasteurised or not, shelf life.
- Pack: Primary tin or jar size, secondary carton, label language and private-label needs.
- Volume: Annual or seasonal programme and per-shipment quantity; FishMatch reviews programmes of USD 250,000 or more.
- Documents: CITES export permit availability, plant registration code, and the destination's food-safety documents.
- Cold chain: Storage and transport temperature required by the producer, and who records it at each handover.
Questions buyers ask
- Is farmed caviar regulated by CITES?
- Yes. All sturgeons and paddlefish (order Acipenseriformes) are listed in the CITES Appendices — two species in Appendix I, all others in Appendix II — and the CITES labelling system applies to caviar of both wild and aquaculture origin.
- Is salmon or trout roe "caviar" under CITES?
- No. CITES defines caviar as processed unfertilised roe of Acipenseriformes species. Salmon, trout and lumpfish roe are not covered by the sturgeon CITES rules, although customs codes may group them as caviar substitutes.
- What does a CITES caviar label look like?
- A non-reusable label on every tin or jar with species code, source code, country of origin, year of harvest, the processing plant's registration code and the lot number — for example the CITES model HUS/W/RU/2000/xxxx/yyyy. The same details must appear on the export permit.
- Can caviar from different species be mixed in one tin?
- Not under CITES Resolution Conf. 12.7, except for pressed caviar.
- What does a US caviar importer need?
- Sturgeon and paddlefish caviar must meet CITES permit requirements and be declared to a US Fish and Wildlife Service wildlife inspector (Form 3-177, usually filed through eDecs). Commercial importers also need a USFWS import/export license, and shipments enter through a designated port unless an exception permit is held. FDA food rules apply in addition.
- What does an EU caviar importer need?
- Two sets of rules: EU wildlife trade rules (Regulation 338/97 — CITES Appendix II species are generally listed in Annex B, and Annex A or B specimens need an import permit from the member state's CITES management authority) and EU food-of-animal-origin rules (listed country and establishment, official health certificate and border checks).
Request a reviewed caviar sourcing round
Free for buyers with annual or seasonal programmes of USD 250,000 or more. Caviar is assessed case by case: our team reviews the brief and whether the product and market are in scope, and, if it proceeds, asks producers for permit and registration evidence before relaying comparable offers; buyers and producers do not contact each other directly. FishMatch holds no caviar stock and does not issue or guarantee permits.