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The Philippines has again imposed a temporary ban on the importation of wild and domestic birds, including poultry products, from the Netherlands following an outbreak of bird flu early this month
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The suspension covers poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs, and even semen used for artificial insemination of breeders
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The DA in December last year halted importation of Dutch birds and poultry products, also due to a bird flu outbreak; the ban was only lifted last June
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Shipments from the Netherlands that were in transit, loaded, or accepted at ports before the latest order took effect on October 29 will be allowed entry, provided the products were slaughtered or produced on or before September 22
The Philippines has again imposed a temporary ban on the importation of wild and domestic birds, including poultry products, from the Netherlands following an outbreak of bird flu early this month.
The suspension covers poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs, and even semen used for artificial insemination of breeders, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said in a statement.
The DA in December last year halted importation of Dutch birds and poultry products, also due to a bird flu outbreak. That import ban was only lifted last June.
The temporary ban comes after Dutch veterinary authorities reported to the World Organization for Animal Health on October 8 an outbreak of H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in the town of Aa en Hunze in Drenthe province on October 6, which infected domestic birds.
Acting on the recommendation of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), Agriculture secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. ordered the import freeze to protect the country’s poultry population and prevent the entry of the HPAI virus. The poultry industry, Tiu Laurel noted, is vital to food security and a key source of investments and employment.
He also directed BAI to suspend the processing and issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances for poultry commodities from the Netherlands.
Under DA Memorandum Order No. 68 series of 2025, shipments from the Netherlands that were in transit, loaded, or accepted at ports before the order took effect on October 29 will be allowed entry, provided the products were slaughtered or produced on or before September 22.
Except for heat-treated products, all covered shipments arriving after the ban will be confiscated by veterinary quarantine officers at ports of entry.
READ: DA lifts poultry import ban on 7 countries
