In October, Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) reintroduced the Ejiao Act (HR 6021) to protect donkeys from a burgeoning global trade that has claimed millions of these animals’ lives and resulted in terrible suffering. Ejiao (pronounced “eh-gee-yow”) is a gelatin derived from boiled donkey hides that is used in cosmetics and traditional Chinese medicines. (See AWI Quarterly, summer 2022.)
Although many Americans are unaware of this industry and the immense harm it inflicts on the animals and the communities around the world that rely on donkeys, the United States is a significant importer of ejiao products—approximately $12 million annually. The Ejiao Act would ban the sale and trade of ejiao products, as well as trade in live donkeys or hides to produce ejiao.