Poultry Imports
Effective Dec. 3, the Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is restricting the importation of poultry, commercial birds, ratites, avian hatching eggs, unprocessed avian products and byproducts, and certain fresh poultry products originating from or transiting Kagoshima prefecture in Japan based on a determination that highly-pathogenic avian influenza exists in domestic birds in that area.
Processed avian products and byproducts originating from or transiting any restricted area, imported as cargo, must be accompanied by an APHIS import permit and/or government certification confirming that the products were treated according to APHIS requirements. Further, importation as cargo of fresh, unprocessed shell/table eggs and other egg products, void of the shell (i.e., liquid eggs, dried egg whites), originating from or transiting any restricted zone is prohibited unless the products are consigned from the port of arrival directly to an APHIS-approved breaking and pasteurization facility. An import permit and/or certificate is not required for these shipments when consigned directly to an APHIS-approved establishment.
Pork Imports
APHIS has added Bosnia and Herzegovina (effective June 26, 2023) and Kosovo (effective Aug. 7, 2023) to the list of regions affected by African swine fever. USDA regulations prohibit the importation of pork and pork products from regions in which ASF exists, except if processed and treated in accordance with the provisions specified in the regulations or consigned to an APHIS-approved establishment for further processing. USDA regulations also restrict imports of swine casings that originated in or were processed in a region where ASF exists.
Feed Exports
The USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service reports that on Aug. 23 the Philippine Department of Agriculture issued a memorandum requiring traders to submit a feed utilization report and other additional information to import feed ingredients that may also be used for human food or other non-feed purposes. This regulation is designed to prevent the diversion of raw materials imported for animal feeds to human consumption or other purposes.
The FAS notes that under the Philippines tax code animal feeds and feed ingredients are exempt from paying value-added tax of 12 percent. In addition, certain agricultural products (depending on use) have different tariff rates, such as feed wheat (0-7 percent) vs. food wheat (0-3 percent) under most-favored nation or other preferential trade agreements.
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