Japan lifts poultry import bans on Portugal as Brazil seeks EU market reentry

Japan has lifted import restrictions on poultry and poultry products from Portugal. The decision follows confirmation from Japanese health and agricultural authorities that Portugal is free from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).

The Portuguese Directorate-General for Food and Veterinary (DGAV) stated that the move recognizes the effectiveness of the national surveillance and disease control systems. Portugal has been included in the list of eligible zones for exporting poultry products to the Japanese market.

In a separate development, Brazil is seeking to reopen its poultry and honey exports to the European Union. The Brazilian Minister of Agriculture, André de Paula, expressed confidence that a technical committee will soon finalize the process following a sanitary audit. Industry sources suggest that poultry exports to the EU could resume as early as November, as preliminary reports from European health authorities indicated satisfaction with Brazilian processing methods.