MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has lifted its temporary ban on the importation of poultry products from Australia after the latter declared itself free from bird flu.
In an order dated July 25, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the Philippines may now resume the importation of Australia’s domestic and wild birds and their by-products, including poultry meat and eggs.
The decision comes after the Philippine government confirmed that all reported cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) or bird flu in Australia were resolved.
Citing an official report from Australia, Tiu Laurel said no additional outbreaks were reported after June 13.
“Based on the evaluation of the Department of Agriculture (DA), the risk of contamination from importing live poultry, poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs and semen is negligible,” he said.
All import transactions should be in compliance with DA’s existing rules and regulations, Tiu Laurel added.
In June 2024, the DA imposed a temporary import ban on all poultry products from Australia due to an avian influenza outbreak affecting domestic birds.
“There is a need to prevent the entry of the HPAI virus to protect the health of the local poultry population,” the agency said in a previous order.
The Philippines imported 9.3 million kilos of chicken meat and 20,730 kilos of duck meat from Australia in 2024, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Animal Industry.
Earlier this month, the Philippines resumed the importation of poultry products from Japan following confirmation that the East Asian country is now free from bird flu.
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