The Department of Agriculture (DA) banned the importation of domesticated and wild birds including poultry meat, eggs and other products from two US states, California and Ohio, due to outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).
DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr. said t the rapid spread of the HPAI H5N1 strain in the US since the first laboratory detection “necessitates a wider coverage of the trade restriction to prevent the entry of HPAI virus and protect the health of the local population”.
Given the geographical land mass of the US, the Philippines agreed to impose a state-wide ban only when at least three or more counties in an affected state in the US reports an HPAI outbreak.
DA said the cases of H5N1 were reported by the US Veterinary Services to the World Organization for Animal Health in November in the states of California and Ohio.
Aside from banning birds and other poultry products like meat, eggs, day-old chicks and semen, Laurel also ordered the immediate suspension of the processing, evaluation of application, and issuance of the Sanitary Phytosanitary Import Clearance of said commodities from the affected areas.
Shipments in transit, loaded or accepted at Philippine ports before the official communication of the ban on Jan. 15, 2024 shall be allowed, provided that those products were produced or the birds were slaughtered 14 days before the first outbreak.
Poultry and poultry products imported to the country from the states of California and Ohio after November 14 and November 21, 2023 respectively, shall be seized and destroyed by the DA, or returned to the country of origin.
The US is the biggest source of poultry meat, accounting for 40 percent and reaching 166,356 metric tons (MT) valued at $175,783,193 in 2023.
Total poultry meat arrivals last year stood 426,620 MT.
Meanwhile, other states from the US are excluded in the DA temporary restriction and can still import poultry and poultry products to the Philippines.
Earlier this year, the DA also banned the importation of poultry and other poultry products, including wild birds from Belgium and France due to similar HPAI H5N1 issues.
