Poultry imports from Brazil halted

The Philippines has indefinitely banned poultry imports from Brazil following confirmation of the South American country’s first bird flu outbreak, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said Monday.

In a press briefing, Laurel noted that the Philippines currently has no regionalization agreement with Brazil, meaning the import ban applies to the entire country.

According to a wire agency report, the outbreak was detected in southern Brazil on a farm that supplied Vibra Foods, a Brazilian company backed by United States-based Tyson Foods.

Similarly, Japan, China and the European Union have suspended poultry imports from Brazil.

Brazil is the world’s top poultry exporter, accounting for roughly 35 percent of the global chicken meat trade. In 2024, it exported over $10 billion worth of chicken products.

In response, Brazil said it has implemented containment and eradication measures to manage the outbreak.