• The Department of Agriculture has lifted its temporary ban on poultry and egg imports from Minnesota, USA
• The ban was originally enforced due to an outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza
• Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr. issued Memorandum Order No. 22 lifting the restriction
• The US confirmed to the World Organization for Animal Health that the outbreak has been resolved
• In 2024, the US exported 169,226 metric tons of poultry products to the Philippines, valued at $194.1 million
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has lifted its temporary ban on poultry and egg imports from Minnesota, USA.
The ban had been imposed as a precautionary measure to protect the local poultry sector from Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), a contagious viral disease that poses significant risks to livestock production. The domestic poultry industry is a critical component of the Philippines’ food security framework and employment base, according to DA.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. signed Memorandum Order No. 22, authorizing the resumption of imports of live poultry, poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs, and poultry semen from the US state, the DA said in a statement.
The decision to lift the ban was based on official reports submitted by US veterinary officials to the World Organization for Animal Health, which indicated that the last detected cases of HPAI in Minnesota had been resolved. No new outbreaks have been reported in the affected areas since February 28, the agency noted.
The United States remains a key supplier of poultry products to the Philippines. In 2024, US poultry exports to the country, excluding eggs, totaled 169,226 metric tons valued at $194.1 million, up from $180.5 million the previous year, according to data from the US Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service.
