German trade delegation widens poultry market access
Progress made in Japan and China
9 July 2026
1 minute read
By: Germany's poultry industry has welcomed the results of a trade delegation to Japan and China led by federal agriculture minister Alois Rainer, describing the visits as an important step toward expanding export opportunities in both markets, the Central Association of the German Poultry Industry.
In Japan, authorities confirmed recognition of EU regionalisation for highly pathogenic avian influenza, meaning exports from unaffected regions are in principle possible. "Now it's a matter of negotiating and signing the necessary protocols and certificates," said Wolfgang Schleicher, managing director of the association.
On China, Schleicher said the talks had reached further than any previous round. "We have never been as far as we are now with a view to opening up the market for China for German poultry products such as farmed animals, genetics and poultry meat," he said, while cautioning that the process remains complex and long-term. "China's market opening is not a short-haul sprint, but a long-distance run."
Schleicher also called on China to advance negotiations with comparable urgency, saying its commitment would be equally necessary for the market opening to succeed.
