Philippines Lifts Poultry Import Ban on Minnesota After Bird Flu Outbreak Contained

The Philippine government has lifted its ban on poultry and egg imports from the U.S. state of Minnesota, following the containment of a previously reported outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).

In a statement on Tuesday, the Department of Agriculture (DA) announced that Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has signed Memorandum Order No. 22, authorizing the importation of live poultry, meat, eggs, day-old chicks, and poultry semen from Minnesota.

The import ban, initially enforced to protect the local poultry industry amid the bird flu threat, was lifted after the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) confirmed that HPAI cases in the affected counties had been resolved. No new outbreaks have been reported since February 28.

The DA emphasized the significance of the poultry sector in national food security and job creation, and said that the decision was made after thorough review of reports submitted by U.S. veterinary authorities.

The United States is one of the Philippines’ major poultry suppliers. In 2024 alone, the U.S. exported 169,226 metric tons of poultry products (excluding eggs) to the Philippines, valued at $194.1 million, up from $180.5 million in 2023, according to the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service.