July 10, 2007

Japan halts poultry imports from Germany
 

Japan has suspended poultry imports from Germany after a bird flu outbreak in wild birds there, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said Monday (Jul 9). 

Germany is the third-largest exporter of young chickens to Japan following France and Britain, the ministry said.

Japan imported about 114,000 chicks from Germany last year. The country stopped importing chicks from Germany for four months last year after a bird flu outbreak in the country in April.

The ministry expects importers of chicks to be little affected by the latest import ban as they are expected to increase imports from other countries.

The H5N1 bird flu virus has spread to poultry in Germany and infected wild birds there since late June, the ministry said.