The Ejiao Act, H.R.5203, introduced in Congress to ban U.S. sales of products made from donkey skins

Addressing the worldwide crisis of the donkey skin trade, U.S. Representative, Don Beyer (D-VA), has introduced the Ejiao Act, H.R.5203. If enacted into federal law, it would prohibit U.S. sales and the transport of the Chinese medicine called "ejiao", which is derived from boiling the skins of donkeys.

Millions of donkeys are being brutally slaughtered each year for the sole purpose of creating a Chinese medicine known as ejiao. Demand for ejiao has spiked so dramatically during the past decade that China now imports donkey skins from around the world.

​The domestic Chinese and international demand for donkey skins is estimated at 8 to 10 million skins per year, but the annual supply in China is less than 1,800,000. As a result, the donkey population in China has collapsed by 76% since 1992. Driven by profit, Chinese production of ejiao has led to the slaughter millions of donkeys across the globe. ​In addition to driving the global population of donkeys to near extinction level, the demand has devastating effects on families and communities in developing countries who depend on donkeys as work partners.

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​A recent report by the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization revealed that in 2018, 159,631 donkeys were slaughtered for their skins, which is 8.1% of the population.

​Today, up to 1,000 donkeys a day can be slaughtered in Kenya, more than 300,000 a year. The report goes on to suggest that donkeys in Kenya could vanish by 2023.

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As demand for ejiao continues unabated, donkey  populations in lower-income countries continue to plummet, despite governmental efforts to outlaw the trade.

The United States is also a source of donkeys for ejiao production. Every year, thousands of donkeys and wild burros are live-exported over U.S. borders to Canada and Mexico to be slaughtered for their meat and hides.

THE USA IS THE THIRD LARGEST IMPORTER OF EJIAO PRODUCTS

The worldwide sales of ejiao is estimated to be $25 billion annually. The leading importers in the world for ejiao are China and Hong Kong. The third largest importer of ejiao is the United States, with $12,000,000 in annual imports of ejiao each year. ​American retailers, including eBay, Walmart owned Jet.com, VitaminLife and HerbalShop, have already banned the sales of ejiao. The time has come to put a comprehensive prohibition on the ejiao trade in the USA.

HELP BAN EJIAO SALES IN THE USA

​Despite it being an unethical commodity, U.S retailers, such as Amazon.com, continue to allow the sale of donkey skin products on their platforms. Help make it illegal to import or purchase ejiao products in the United States by urging your U.S. Representative to cosponsor the Ejiao Act!

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