the Department of Agriculture (DA) restricted the entry of wild and domesticated birds, along with poultry products from Michigan in the United States, shortly after recalling the ban on similar products from Ohio.
The ban follows the emergence of the H5N1 subtype of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in the State of Ohio.
Under Memorandum Order 24 signed on June 7, 2024, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. suspended the importation of domestic and wild birds and associated products, including poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs and semen from Michigan.
The DA also suspended the issuance of new sanitary and phytosanitary permits by the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) for animal and product imports from Ohio.
Shipments from Michigan currently in transit, loaded or accepted at ports prior to the official communication of the order to US authorities will be permitted if the products were processed or produced 14 days before the initial outbreak was reported.
Non-compliant shipments may face confiscation and destruction, return to the country of origin, or redirection to a third country, according to the department.
According to the official report from the US Chief Veterinary Officer to the World Organization for Animal Health, an outbreak of the H5N1 subtype of avian influenza occurred in Michigan, as confirmed by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa, on March 29, 2024.
US authorities observed the virus’s rapid spread, prompting the broadening of trade restrictions to safeguard the local poultry population.
Under a bilateral agreement between the Philippines and the US in 2016, a state-wide ban is imposed if three or more counties are affected by avian flu, underscoring the collaborative efforts to mitigate the spread of the disease and protect poultry populations.
The DA maintains restrictions on poultry imports from the US State of California as well as the State of Victoria in Australia, Belgium and France.
