DA bans poultry, live birds imports from California, Ohio

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 17) — The Department of Agriculture (DA) imposed a ban on the importation of poultry products, as well as both domesticated and wild birds, from California and Ohio in the United States following several outbreaks of bird flu there.

The banned products also include poultry meat, eggs, day-old chickens, and semen.

DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. noted that the restriction is to prevent the entry of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus strain that he said is spreading fast in the US.

The cases of bird flu in California and Ohio were reported in November by the US Veterinary Services to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH).

“Laurel also ordered the immediate suspension of the processing, evaluation of application, and issuance of the Sanitary Phytosanitary Import Clearance (SPSIC) of said commodities,” the DA said.

On Jan. 9, the DA also banned the importation of poultry products and domesticated and wild birds from Belgium and France after it also reported bird flu outbreak.

READ: DA bans poultry, wild birds from France and Belgium

“All shipments coming from California and Ohio that are already in transit, loaded or accepted at Philippine ports before the official communication of the ban on January 15, 2024 shall be allowed, provided that those products were produced or the birds were slaughtered fourteen (14) days before the first outbreak,” the DA said.

“Poultry and poultry products imported to the country from the states of California and Ohio after November 14, 2023 and November 21, 2023 respectively, shall be seized and destroyed by the DA, or returned to the country of origin,” it added.

According to DA, the country’s poultry meat importation from the US in 2023 was 166,356 metric tons valued at $175,783,193.

It also said that the US ranks second as a supplier of poultry meat valued at about 40% or 426,620 metric tons of total meat arrivals in the Philippines.

However, it said the temporary restriction does not include other states of US because the Philippines agreed to only impose a state-wide banning when at least three states declared HPAI outbreak.