GAINESVILLE, Ga. — The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced on October 1, 2023, that it is placing trade restrictions on poultry and poultry products from France, as well as the European Poultry Trade Region, excluding Great Britain, along with Iceland, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.
In an official statement, APHIS cited these restrictions as being in accordance with the World Organization for Animal Health’s definition of poultry, which is a response to France’s decision to vaccinate commercial meat ducks against Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). This decision is viewed as potentially introducing HPAI into the United States. Furthermore, specific items such as ducks, duck eggs, and untreated duck products for consumption will also face restrictions. The United States is prohibiting the import of any poultry that has either been infected with Avian Influenza or has been vaccinated for the disease.
APHIS went on to explain that, “Vaccinating poultry against the HPAI virus can hide the presence of the virus in poultry. Vaccinated birds may not display signs of HPAI infection, which could result in the export of infected live animals or virus-contaminated products to the United States.”
France has been severely impacted by avian influenza, with the virus spreading globally at an unprecedented rate and causing significant damage in the country. Avian influenza can disrupt a nation’s food supply and lead to rising prices for poultry meat and eggs. The French government was also concerned about the potential for the virus to mutate and become transmissible to humans, leading to the decision to introduce mandatory vaccinations for ducks.
France took a pioneering step within the European Union by making duck vaccinations mandatory. On October 2, 2023, French Agriculture Minister Marc Fesneau was present as the initial vaccinations were administered on a farm in Landes, France. Fesneau expressed optimism, stating, “it’s a moment of hope, and we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
The French Agriculture Ministry revealed, “This means that a total of 64 million ducks on 2,700 farms will need to be vaccinated over a year, at a total cost of nearly 100 million euros ($105 million), with 85 percent of the funding coming from the state.”
Despite ongoing discussions, Fesneau noted that Japan remained hesitant to accept French poultry products following vaccination. Ducks are a primary focus for vaccinations, as they constitute 8 percent of the French poultry supply and are particularly vulnerable to avian influenza.
