Trade restrictions due to Avian Influenza

UK's Avian Influenza Status

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza has been confirmed in domestic poultry. This means that the United Kingdom (UK) has lost its official "country freedom" status for this disease. This criteria is set by OIE, the International Health Organisation, which is recognised by the world community.

Intra-Community Trade

The positive message is that trade from the UK to other Member States can carry on, and in practice is carrying on, unaffected by the incident. the only provisos being as follows. For the time being, intra-community trade TRACES certificates (ITAHCs) for live poultry and hatching eggs can continue to be issued provided the poultry or eggs do not come from premises under restriction or premises within the restricted area. Any exporters wishing to export from the restricted areas should contact their local SVS Animal Health Divisional Office.

Exporters can continue to apply for intra-Community trade export health certificates for poultry, hatching eggs and captive birds from local Animal Health Divisional Offices in the normal way. Such certificates give 'area' freedom from avian influenza.

Poultry meat and poultry meat products can continue to move to other Member States on commercial documents. Exporters have a responsibility to know the origin of their product and whether it has originated from within a restricted area.

Third Country Exports

At this time, the following Third Countries have imposed an import ban of all bird related commodities:

Hong Kong

India (to be confirmed)

Japan

Jersey

South Africa

South Korea

We will continue to make export health certificates available for hatching eggs, poultry meat and poultry products to other Third Countries provided the condition relating to avian influenza is signable by an Official Veterinarian. AHDOs will issue these certificates entirely at the exporters risk with a disclaimer that you will need to sign (see Annex 1 (20 KB)).

We will only issue export health certificates for live poultry and other birds if we have positive confirmation from the Third Country's veterinary authorities that they are content to accept the consignment. Exporters who have an imminent consignment or who have a planned export within the forthcoming weeks should contact Defra (see contact details below) urgently. In these priority cases we will contact the overseas veterinary authorities and the FCO Overseas Post to try to get confirmation that the consignment will be accepted. Exporters need to be aware that in the current situation many export consignments for live birds may not be able to go ahead.