Black Cohosh - Non-Timber Forest Products

For exports reported in pounds, it is estimated that 1 pound of dried black
cohosh roots is equal to approximately 14 roots. Thus, during the 4-year
period from 1999 to 2002, in excess of 755,498 black cohosh roots were
exported. Note the spike in 2002 exports, which coincides with damaging
revelations about the risks of synthetic HRT.
Note: PCs represent only a conservative estimate of actual exports because:
1. Not all countries require PCs, so not all shipments of black cohosh will
be accompanied by a PC.
2. When required, many countries request PCs only for live or fresh
material; so shipments of dried material, derivatives, or processed
material may not be accompanied by a PC.
3. Shipments are not reported in standard units; thus, PCs may not record
sufficient information to determine the amount or type of material being
exported.
4. Information from PCs is neither centrally available nor electronically
recorded, making it difficult to get accurate information and to follow up
on inconsistencies.
Port Data
Table 3 shows U.S. Customs port data from July 2001 through October
2002 (PIERS Exports 2003). Because PIERS is available only in 18-month
increments the information spans portions of 2 years. The database reports
that, between mid-2001 and late 2003, 40,124 pounds of black cohosh were
exported to four European countries (PIERS Exports 2003). Previous import
records showed that about 13 tons of black cohosh powder were imported
into the United States from May 1998 to February 1999. This suggests
that black cohosh exported as raw materials (dried roots) is re-imported as
powder.
Table 3—Port data for black cohosh exports (PIERS
Exports 2003) a
Year Pounds
Equivalent number of plants
(14 roots per dry pound)
6-12/2001 28,984 405,776
1-10/2002 11,140 155,960
Total 40,124 561,736
a PIERS data is available in 18-month increments, thus the information
in this table spans portions of 2 years.
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