February 22, 2023

The Philippines bans imports of Dutch beef and Turkish poultry products

The Philippines Department of Agriculture has temporarily banned imports of Dutch cattle and beef related products, as well as Turkish poultry products, Philippine Daily Inquirer reported.

The bans were implemented following reports of mad cow disease in the Netherlands and of bird flu in Turkey.

Live animals, beef meat, beef byproducts, domestic and wild birds, and their byproducts from the countries covered are all subject to the ban.

The Philippines Department of Agriculture immediately stopped processing, reviewing applications, and issuing sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) import clearance for said products once the ban was enforced.

All meat shipments from The Netherlands that have already been loaded, accepted into port, or are in transit will be permitted as long as they were produced or slaughtered on or before January 1.

Poultry products from Turkey will be permitted entry into the Philippines as long as they were produced or slaughtered on or before January 17, including those in transit, loaded, or accepted at port prior to the imposition of the ban.

All shipments of meat, meat byproducts, domestic and wild birds, and their products will be thoroughly inspected by the Department of Agriculture at all major ports of entry.

-      Philippine Daily Inquirer