BEIJING, April 23 (Reuters) – China has banned poultry imports from Chile due to a recent bird flu outbreak in the South American country, the Chinese customs authority said in a statement.
The prohibition, effective immediately, covers all poultry and related products originating from Chile, the government said, citing the need to protect its livestock industry and biosecurity. Any illegal Chilean poultry products found at the border will be destroyed by customs, the agency said.
China has previously suspended exports from Chile due to bird flu. The country resumed trade with the South American country in late 2024 after an 18-month suspension due to avian influenza. Before the pause, China was Chile’s third-largest poultry market, with 2022 exports reaching around 29,000 tons, constituting 15% of Chile’s poultry exports.
China has recently tightened border controls after it reported an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in 219 cattle in its northwestern region in late March.
(Reporting by Daphne Zhang, Ethan Wang, and Ryan Woo; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
