Brazil pushes for regional bird flu trade rules
Talks with EU, US aim to ease full-country export bans
28 May 2025
2 minute read
By: Brazil is negotiating with the European Union and US to limit animal disease trade bans to affected regions, its chief veterinarian said on Tuesday, expressing strong confidence in reaching deals as bird flu disrupts Brazilian poultry exports, according to Reuters.
Brazil, the world's largest chicken exporter, confirmed its first outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, on a poultry farm earlier this month, triggering country-wide trade bans from several major importers while others implemented state-wide restrictions.
The EU said no poultry or poultry meat products could be exported to the bloc from any part of Brazil after discovery of an outbreak in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, which accounts for 15% of Brazilian poultry production and exports.
The US applied a country-wide but not full ban on Brazilian poultry products following the farm outbreak. Processed products, byproducts and eggs may still be imported if they meet certain treatment and certification requirements.
Negotiations with the two blocs are taking place at the general session of the World Organisation for Animal Health in Paris.
"We know this is not the perfect time to negotiate, but it will happen eventually, as major poultry producers like the US and Brazil face the same challenges," Brazil's Chief Veterinary Officer Marcelo Mota told Reuters.
Mota said he was "very confident" that agreements would be reached.
WOAH last week encouraged focusing disease controls on affected regions rather than the entire country to contain the spread of bird flu in Brazil and enable international trade.
Under WOAH rules, if a country detects a bird flu outbreak in one region, it can declare that region a disease control zone and maintain disease-free status - and trade - from other zones that are unaffected.
The US bird flu outbreak has killed nearly 170 million chickens, turkeys and other birds since 2022 and has spread to dairy farms across the country.
"It's strategic for all the countries, and of course we are only negotiating this with countries that can give us the same kind of guarantee," Mota said. "We are highlighting the importance not to close the whole country. It is important for food security, for trade balance in the world."
The deals would include regional rather than nationwide restrictions in the event of an outbreak of several animal diseases, including African swine fever, which has decimated pig herds around the world, notably in China.
EU imports of Brazilian chicken account for a small share of total imports, but their low prices have been pressuring the EU market. The US imports a minimal amount of poultry products from Brazil.
