The French Ministry of Agriculture announced that the embargo on imports of French poultry to the United States and Canada has been lifted. This embargo was put in place in October 2023, after the start of the vaccination of ducks against avian flu.
The United States and Canada have decided to lift their embargo on imports of certain French poultry (excluding ducks), put in place in October 2023 after the start of vaccination of ducks against avian flu, the French Ministry of Agriculture announced on Monday. 'Agriculture.
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“After more than 15 months of negotiation and health diplomacy between the French, American and Canadian authorities, the United States and Canada have lifted their embargoes on certain French poultry sectors,” the ministry said in a press release.
Second compulsory vaccination campaign for ducks in France
“The French authorities have managed to convince (…) of the safety of vaccination” of ducks against avian flu, thus allowing the lifting of restrictions on unvaccinated poultry and products/by-products from unvaccinated flocks . The country of foie gras is currently continuing its second compulsory vaccination campaign for ducks.
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The lifting of the United States embargo, decided on January 16, concerns poultry and poultry products (except ducks), including hatching eggs and day-old chicks. In other EU countries, the lifting also concerns exports of ducks and duck products.
-On December 24, Canada lifted restrictions on exports of French avian genetics (hatching eggs and day-old chicks).
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Fear that vaccination “masks an infection” of avian flu
These embargoes took effect on October 1, 2023, the same day as the French vaccination campaign against highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in ducks was launched.
The American Department of Agriculture (USDA) then justified the embargo by the fear that vaccination “masks infection with the avian flu virus”. The United States had also restricted imports of live ducks and raw duck products from the EU.
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According to French customs, exports in the “live poultry and eggs” category to the United States represented only 1% of France's exports.
