US, Japan Update Terms for US Poultry Exports in Case of HPAI Outbreak

The U.S. and Japan recently agreed to new terms to allow the trade of poultry to continue in case of a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak in the U.S., the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service said in a report released Dec. 16. The new measures allow Japan to restrict imports at the country level, rather than at the state level, if it “concludes that the outbreak is appropriately controlled in the affected country,” the report said. Along with general poultry products, the measures also impact “shell eggs” and other egg products exported from the U.S. to Japan. USDA updated its export certificates Dec. 10 to reflect the new conditions.