The swift escalation of bird flu cases in the US since its first detection requires more extensive trade restrictions to prevent the virus from entering our country.
— Agriculture Secretary Franscio Tiu Laurel, Jr.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) imposed a temporary ban on the importation of domestic and wild birds, as well as poultry products, from Maryland and Missouri following multiple outbreaks of bird flu in the United States.
Agriculture Secretary Franscio Tiu Laurel, Jr. explained that the rapid spread of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the US necessitated broader trade restrictions to protect local poultry populations.
“The swift escalation of bird flu cases in the US since its first detection requires more extensive trade restrictions to prevent the virus from entering our country,” he said.
The outbreaks in Maryland and Missouri were officially reported on Jan. 23, 2025 by the deputy administrator and chief veterinary officer of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. A total of 89 flocks were tested, and 13.2 million birds were found to be affected in the confirmed infected premises.
Tiu Laurel signed Memorandum Order 07 on Feb. 4, 2025,, which temporarily halts the importation of domestic and wild birds, as well as poultry products such as meat, eggs, day-old chicks, and semen from the affected states.
The order also suspended the issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances for these commodities.
However, shipments that are already in transit or have been accepted at the port will be allowed entry, provided the products were slaughtered or produced at least 14 days before the first reported outbreak.
The first case in Maryland was detected on Jan, 14, 2025 while Missouri reported its outbreak on the same date.
Shipments that do not meet the DA’s conditions will either be returned to the country of origin or disposed of.