As of 2nd October 2023, France has started to vaccinate ducks against highly pathogenic avian flu (HPAI) to try and stem the virus that killed 21 million birds in France at an estimated cost of €1.5 billion. The vaccine has prompted the US and Canada to impose trade restrictions on French poultry imports effective from 1st October 2023.
According to the USDA, vaccinated birds may not show signs of infection, meaning it is impossible to determine whether the virus is in a flock. France's decision to vaccinate presents a potential risk of introducing HPAI into the US.
As of 2022, French exports of meat, fish and seafood to Canada were $7.2 million and $20.7 million to the US, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade.
According to Mintec data, duck breast prices in the US continue to rise, with a 13.9% y-o-y increase. Although poultry imports from France to the US are relatively small, this potentially could impact prices depending on how long the ban stays in place.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) ban on imports of live birds and unprocessed poultry and eggs from France is pending a risk assessment of France’s duck vaccination program for avian flu.
Furthermore, the US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) also announced a ban, taking effect on 1st October. APHIS’ ban applies to imports of poultry from France, as well as live ducks, duck eggs, and untreated duck products from the APHIS-recognised European Poultry Trade Region (EPTR) as well as Iceland, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. The UK is not included in the EPTR ban.
France’s decision to vaccinate presents a possible risk of introducing HPAI into the US. The US does not currently allow the import of poultry from countries affected by HPAI or from flocks vaccinated for HPAI. APHIS said its discussions with the European Commission about HPAI vaccination programs in the European Union are ongoing.
