Mexico Eases Ban on Poultry Imports From Brazil

Mexico has eased its ban on poultry shipments from Brazil. Mexican authorities now consider it safe to reopen their market to poultry imports after nearly a month of restrictions due to an avian influenza outbreak.

Following an analysis of the epidemiological information provided by Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA), Mexico’s National Service for Agro-Alimentary Public Health, Safety and Quality (SENASICA) determined that there is sufficient evidence to safely reopen the Mexican market to Brazilian poultry, under conditions that fully ensure animal health and protect the domestic poultry industry.

Based on the data submitted by Brazilian health authorities, Mexico’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER) will maintain market access restrictions only for processing plants located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, which account for just 5.5% of the country’s poultry exports to Mexico.

Mexico’s restrictions were originally imposed last month after a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI AH5N1) outbreak was confirmed in Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul. The event led to the death of roughly 17,000 birds, including those infected and those culled as a preventive measure. In response, Brazilian authorities activated an emergency protocol that included inspections within a 10km radius of affected farms and declared a 60-day animal health emergency.

Under these emergency conditions, and following MAPA’s official notification, Mexico enacted a temporary suspension of poultry imports on May, 15 to safeguard national poultry production from potential zoonotic risks, as reported by Mexico Business News.

The suspension applied to various poultry-related products, including meat and offal, fertile eggs, chicks up to three days old, poultry-based raw materials for pet food production, and ornamental, singing, and raptor birds. Other countries, including Chile, Uruguay, China, the European Union, and Argentina, implemented similar measures. In contrast, major importers such as Japan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the Philippines limited their bans to products originating from Montenegro or Rio Grande do Sul.

Brazil has been the world’s top poultry exporter since 2004, closing 2020 with 4.2Mt of chicken meat shipped to over 150 countries. In the same year, Brazilian poultry production reached a record 55.33Mt, positioning the country among the top three global producers, alongside the United States and China.

The decision to resume poultry imports was driven by SADER to protect the supply of poultry products in high demand among Mexican consumers. Items such as eggs and chicken play a key role in national nutrition and food security, the agency emphasized.

According to data from the Agricultural Markets Consulting Group (GCMA), Mexico ranks as the world’s fifth-largest chicken consumer, with annual per capita consumption at 33.5kg or roughly 5Mt per year. The country also leads globally in egg consumption, with an average of 27kg per capita annually, representing more than 140 million eggs consumed daily.

SADER emphasized that once Brazil officially declares the outbreak resolved in accordance with World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) criteria and submits sufficient epidemiological data to SENASICA, the restrictions on poultry imports from Rio Grande do Sul will be fully lifted.