The Department of Agriculture (DA) said Friday it lifted the temporary ban on the importation of domestic and wild birds and their by-products from Japan, following confirmation that the country is now free from highly pathogenic avian influenza.
The import ban, originally imposed by the DA in November 2024, also covered poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs and semen.
It was enacted as a precautionary measure to safeguard the local poultry industry—a critical pillar of the food security program vision of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and a major source of jobs and investment, the DA said.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., in Memorandum Order No. 36, cited a report submitted by Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), which confirmed that all previously reported HPAI cases had been resolved as of June 13, with no new outbreaks since.
The DA chief said that in accordance with WOAH guidelines and our own risk assessment, “we have determined that Japan is bird flu free the likelihood of bird flu contamination from imports originating in Japan is negligible.”
The DA said that with the lifting of the ban, all import transactions involving poultry products from Japan should comply with the DA’s existing sanitary and phytosanitary regulations and import protocols.
The decision is expected to help stabilize poultry supply chains and offer local businesses greater sourcing flexibility, especially amid tight global commodity markets, the agency said.
The order takes immediate effect and will remain in force until amended or formally revoked, the DA said.
