Brazil has stopped issuing export certificates for poultry meat bound for the European Union following a bird flu outbreak, effectively halting poultry exports to the bloc.
The European Commission confirmed on Monday that Brazil notified the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) after detecting Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) on a commercial farm in Montenegro, Rio Grande do Sul.
Due to this notification, Brazil suspended its HPAI-free status, a requirement under EU regulations for poultry exports. This means imports of poultry and poultry products from any region in Brazil no longer meet EU eligibility standards. However, the EU is not required to impose an outright ban on Brazilian poultry.
Without the HPAI-free status, Brazilian authorities cannot sign the necessary animal health certificates for poultry exports to the EU. Though the EU represents only about 4.4% of Brazil’s poultry export market, Brazil remains a significant supplier, accounting for 32% of EU poultry imports in 2024, according to official EU data.
“The European Commission remains in contact with the Brazilian authorities and relies on them to ensure no EU export certificates are being signed,” a Commission spokesperson told Euronews.
As part of the containment efforts, roughly 1.7 million eggs—equivalent to 450 metric tons—have been destroyed in Rio Grande do Sul, the state’s agriculture department reported.
Brazil is the world’s largest poultry exporter, with China as its largest customer, followed by the United Arab Emirates, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa.
Meanwhile, health experts are growing concerned as bird flu cases rise globally among wild birds, particularly in the United States, where outbreaks among poultry and dairy cows have led to 67 confirmed human cases and one death.
