The Ejiao Act of 2025 prohibits the knowing trade of donkeys, donkey hides, and ejiao products within U.S. commerce to combat the devastating impact of ejiao production on global donkey populations.
Donald Beyer
Representative
VA-8
The Ejiao Act of 2025 prohibits the knowing trade, import, and export of donkeys, donkey hides, and ejiao products within U.S. commerce due to the devastating impact of the ejiao trade on global donkey populations. This legislation establishes significant civil and criminal penalties for violations, including substantial fines and imprisonment. Furthermore, the Act grants enforcement authority to agencies like U.S. Customs and Border Protection and mandates the forfeiture of illegal goods and related equipment.
New Act Bans U.S. Trade of Donkey Hides and Ejiao Products to Combat Global Population Collapse
The Ejiao Act of 2025 is a straight-up ban on U.S. involvement in the trade of donkeys, donkey hides, and any products containing ejiao—a gelatin derived from donkey skin used in traditional Chinese medicine and beauty products. The bill’s core action (Section 3) makes it illegal to knowingly import, export, sell, or even move these items across state lines if they are intended for ejiao production or already contain the substance. This move is a direct response to findings (Section 2) showing that massive global demand—up to 10 million skins annually—is wiping out donkey populations worldwide, devastating communities that rely on these animals for basic labor, like farming and transport.
Why Your Coffee Shop Friend Cares About Donkeys
This isn't just about animal welfare; it’s about global economics and community stability. For those of us juggling work and bills, imagine losing the one tool that makes your job possible. That’s the reality for millions of people in developing countries who use donkeys as essential work animals. When the global ejiao trade drives up prices and fuels theft, those families can’t afford to replace their lost donkeys. By shutting down the U.S. market—a major importer of ejiao (Section 2)—this Act aims to remove a key financial driver behind the collapse of these animal populations, providing a lifeline to vulnerable communities.
The New Rules of the Road: Penalties and Enforcement
If you’re a business owner or importer currently dealing in products that might contain ejiao, pay close attention: the penalties are steep. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is primarily in charge of enforcement (Section 6). If you knowingly violate the ban, you could face civil fines up to $10,000 per violation (Section 4). Crucially, the bill specifies that every illegal item counts as a separate violation, and the offense is considered to have occurred in every district where you possessed it. This means a single shipment could result in exponentially high fines, creating a massive economic burden for non-compliance.
For serious offenses—knowingly importing or exporting illegal goods valued over $350—it jumps to a felony, punishable by up to $20,000 in fines, five years in prison, or both (Section 4). Furthermore, the government can seize not only the illegal donkeys or products but also the tools used in the crime, such as boats, vehicles, or airplanes, if the owner knew or should have known they were being used for this illegal trade (Section 5). This broad forfeiture power gives CBP and the Department of the Interior significant leverage to enforce the ban, ensuring that the U.S. is completely out of the ejiao supply chain.