Every parcel counts: China’s courier and logistics companies step up to stop illegal wildlife deliveries

Tengchong, China | 22 August 2025 — Over 50 representatives from leading courier and logistics companies across Yunnan gathered in Tengchong, China, recently to strengthen their role in addressing illegal wildlife trade.

The workshop — themed ‘Protecting Biodiversity, Refusing Illegal Deliveries’ — was co-hosted by the China Express Association (CEA), China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA), and TRAFFIC.

It builds on the landmark ‘Voluntary Code of Practice to Refuse Delivery of Illegal Wildlife and Products Thereof’, signed in 2019 by 14 of China’s largest courier and logistics companies (including EMS, SF Express, DHL, and FedEx), which covers approximately 90% of the domestic market.

A critical moment for action

The training came amid a nationwide crackdown on the illegal bird trade. Since June 2025, joint operations led by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, police, market regulators, and transport authorities have seized large numbers of illegally kept songbirds and parrots.

Courier companies, often exploited unknowingly as the link between sellers and buyers, are increasingly recognised as crucial partners in these efforts. Earlier this year, the State Post Bureau also issued new regulations to tighten controls on live-animal delivery and clamp down on illegal shipments — making the industry’s commitment more vital than ever.

Turning pledges into practice

To equip them with the skills needed to identify, refuse, and report illicit consignments, the workshop’s participants received expert training on:

• Recent trends in the illegal trade of protected birds and other wildlife
• Courier-sector regulations on wildlife shipments
• Customs case studies involving smuggled songbirds and exotic parrots
• Methods for detecting concealed wildlife products
• Safe handling of live-animal consignments

Companies shared how they have been embedding the Voluntary Code of Practice into daily operations:

"We have strengthened controls across all border counties by enforcing 100% identity checks, package inspections, security screening, and established a province-wide five-level responsibility structure to ensure strict accountability from headquarters to local delivery stations,” said a representative of Yunnan Post.

"We’ve introduced AI-enabled scanners and developed an emergency response system — employees who correctly identify and report wildlife shipments are rewarded, while violations are penalized under our strict ‘whoever accepts it, is responsible’ rule,” said a representative of Yunnan SF Express.

 Each participant also signed a ‘Commitment Letter’ pledging to uphold the Code — to be endorsed by company directors, ensuring accountability across all levels.

Industry leadership in wildlife conservation

"The Tengchong workshop showed that the Voluntary Code of Practice is more than words on paper. Companies are already applying its principles in daily operations, and through training and cooperation, we are raising the industry standard for wildlife protection,” 

said Xiaoyun Dong, Deputy Secretary-General of the China Express Association.

By combining expert training with the sharing of frontline company practices, the Tengchong workshop underscored how the Code has translated from a pledge into concrete action. The event reinforced the courier sector’s role as a crucial partner in blocking illegal wildlife trade at its source and contributing to broader biodiversity conservation efforts,”

said Ling Xu, Director of TRAFFIC China.

A growing movement

This workshop is part of the GUARD Wildlife project – Global United Action to Reduce and Dismantle Wildlife Crime – funded by the European Union. The project is led by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and implemented in collaboration with other members of the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crimes and Civil Society Organisations.

The workshop builds on earlier initiatives. In 2024, TRAFFIC, CEA, and CWCA launched a social behaviour change campaign featuring a short film of an African Grey Parrot pleading for a courier’s help — a powerful reminder of the vital role frontline staff play in stopping illegal wildlife deliveries.

Together, these efforts highlight the courier industry’s growing alignment with corporate social responsibility and biodiversity conservation. By embedding environmental responsibility into everyday operations, the sector is proving that every parcel counts in the fight against wildlife trafficking.