REVISITING CHINA’S IVORY MARKETS IN 2017

The report finds that while most legal ivory stores complied with the phased shutdown of the domestic market, illegal trade persists through physical outlets, websites, and social media. Physical illegal markets have seen a decline in the average number of items per outlet since 2007, but trade has shifted toward second-tier cities and encrypted social media platforms. Prices in illegal markets remain significantly lower than in legal markets, and there is a noted lack of clear government policy regarding the management of unsold ivory stockpiles following the ban.

• The Chinese government implemented a phased ban on domestic ivory trade in 2017, with a first batch of 67 manufacturers and stores closing by 31 March 2017 and a second group of 105 closing by 31 December 2017.
• Compliance among the first batch of stores was high, with 50 of 50 surveyed stores having ceased open sales, though one store in Beijing was found to be selling illegal ivory secretly.
• Among the second batch of stores slated for closure by the end of 2017, 28.3% were found to be violating registration and certification regulations, and 6.7% were operating outside designated locations.
• Illegal physical ivory markets have declined significantly over a decade, with the average number of ivory items per outlet dropping from 18 in 2007 to five in 2017.
• Illegal ivory trade in physical markets has shifted toward second-tier cities, which accounted for 76% of the total observed ivory items in the 2017 survey.
• Online ivory advertisements decreased by 19% between the January-April periods of 2016 and 2017, with 98% of the 1,687 new advertisements found on just five collection websites.
• Social media has become a major channel for illegal trade due to privacy and encryption, though the number of advertisements, pictures, and videos per user decreased by 28%, 15%, and 47% respectively compared to 2016.
• Prices in the illegal market are substantially lower than in the legal market; for example, the average price of ivory chopsticks in the illegal market (USD 153) was 72% lower than in the legal market (USD 542).
• There is a lack of clear government policy on the management of unsold ivory stocks, leading to varied expectations among dealers, with 33% hoping for government repurchase and 24% for museum displays.

APA

Zhao, Y., Xu, L., Xiao, Y., Guan, J., & Lau, W. (2017). REVISITING CHINA’S IVORY MARKETS IN 2017. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/96/4311i88u1a_Briefing_Revisiting_Chinas_Ivory_Markets_in_2017_FINAL.pdf

Chicago

Zhao, Yuankun, Ling Xu, Yu Xiao, Jing Guan, and Wilson Lau. REVISITING CHINA’S IVORY MARKETS IN 2017. WWF International, 2017. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/96/4311i88u1a_Briefing_Revisiting_Chinas_Ivory_Markets_in_2017_FINAL.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Zhao |first1=Yuankun |last2=Xu |first2=Ling |last3=Xiao |first3=Yu |last4=Guan |first4=Jing |last5=Lau |first5=Wilson |title=REVISITING CHINA’S IVORY MARKETS IN 2017 |publisher=WWF International |date=August 2017 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/96/4311i88u1a_Briefing_Revisiting_Chinas_Ivory_Markets_in_2017_FINAL.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{zhao2017revisiting, author = {Zhao, Yuankun and Xu, Ling and Xiao, Yu and Guan, Jing and Lau, Wilson}, title = {{REVISITING CHINA’S IVORY MARKETS IN 2017}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2017}, month = aug, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/96/4311i88u1a_Briefing_Revisiting_Chinas_Ivory_Markets_in_2017_FINAL.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }