January 14, 2021

Philippines temporarily bans poultry imports from France, South Korea, and the Netherlands

The Philippines' Department of Agriculture has issued a temporary ban on the import of domestic and wild birds including poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs, and semen from France, South Korea, and the Netherlands following bird flu outbreaks in those countries, The Philippine Star reported.

William Dar, the Philippines' Agriculture Secretary, said all upcoming shipments of poultry and poultry products from those countries will be confiscated by the department's veterinary quarantine officers at all major ports of entry.

French poultry import into the Philippines will be allowed with SPS import clearance issued on or before December 21, 2020, but frozen poultry meat must have a slaughter or process date of 21 days before the bird flu outbreak on or before October 17, 2020.

Poultry imports from the Netherlands will be permitted with SPS import clearance issued on or before December 18, 2020, but frozen poultry meat must have a slaughter or process date of 21 days before the bird flu outbreak on or before October 8, 2020.

Import shipments currently in transit to the Philippines will be permitted on the condition that the products were not sourced from regions where outbreaks have occurred in those countries.

The Philippines has already issued a ban on poultry imports from Australia, Brazil, Denmark, Japan, Germany, Hungary, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and the United States.

- The Philippine Star