U.S. exporters are able to ship chicken and turkey to South Korea as long as the poultry was processed after June 1, according to Agri-Pulse.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack recently announced that South Korea has agreed to lift the ban it placed on U.S. poultry. The ban was put in place as a reaction to outbreaks from avian influenza (AI) last year and earlier this year.
“We’re pleased that the market has reopened to our products, which are in high demand in South Korea,” said Jim Sumner, president of the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council.
He noted U.S. chicken exports were valued at $98.2 million and turkey shipments at $7.4 million in 2014, the last year before South Korea banned all U.S. poultry products. Agri-Pulse said that made it the 14th largest market for chicken and the sixth largest turkey export market.
U.S. poultry industry representatives are hopeful the U.S. Department of Agriculture can persuade South Korea to stop issuing blanket bans on all U.S. poultry in the event of localized detection of avian influenza.
“Our major concern is that Korea has yet to adopt a policy of regionalization for avian influenza,” Sumner said. “This means that if another detection of highly pathogenic AI were to occur at a single poultry farm in the U.S., Korea would immediately impose a nationwide ban on imports of U.S. poultry.”
A USDA official said the department will work with South Korea to try and avoid future nationwide restrictions.