Japan’s inaction on illegal ivory exports threatens Chinese ban, report says

Monitoring network Traffic says smuggling of undocumented ivory into China could undermine enforcement of imminent ban

Japan's failure to prevent illegal ivory exports could undermine China's forthcoming ban on its domestic ivory trade, conservation groups have warned.

Inaction by Japan's government has allowed the smuggling of large quantities of undocumented ivory overseas, mainly to China, according to a report released in Tokyo on Wednesday by the wildlife trade monitoring network Traffic.