The Chinese General Administration of Customs and the Ministry of Agriculture issued a decision on Wednesday (September 4) banning the import of poultry products from Poland, the portal reported. Guancha.cn. The authorities indicated that on 23 August 2024, our country reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) of the H5N1 subtype in the Lubuskie Voivodeship.
China is reintroducing a ban on Polish poultry imports, after lifting the last one in June
In connection with this, the Chinese authorities have banned direct or indirect import of poultry and poultry products from Poland. The decision was justified by the need to “prevent the epidemic, protect the safety of animal breeding and biological safety” – we learn from the announcement quoted by the portal.
The decision came into effect on the day of its announcement – September 4. All poultry products sent to China before that date will be subject to quarantine and sanitary and veterinary tests, while those sent after that date will be returned or destroyed. Maciej Kalwasinskian analyst at the Centre for Eastern Studies, noted that the import restriction was announced shortly after the lifting of the previous ban, which was in force from January 2020 to June this year.
Poland and China to sign regionalization agreement by year end. “We will be the fourth country”
Jakub Kumoch, the Polish ambassador to China, also commented on the matter. “Unfortunately, we had a case of HPAI in Poland. Regionalization serves to counteract such situations. By December, both countries have committed to sign an agreement, which is the subject of negotiations. After it comes into force, in the event of HPAI detection, only the given region will be blocked,” the diplomat informed.
The agreement on regionalization is one of the effects of Andrzej Duda's June visit to China and was aimed precisely at enabling Poland to freely export poultry. – So far, only three countries in the world have obtained regionalization from China, we will be the fourth country – noted the president.
The bird flu outbreak is over. “All this complicates trade a lot”
The President of the National Poultry Council – Chamber of Commerce, Dariusz Goszczyński, told PAP on Friday (September 6) that the procedure of suspending imports is routine and that the industry expected that a similar situation could occur. – This shows that regionalization is key to maintaining the continuity of exports – he indicated in a conversation quoted by the portal Money.pl.
Goszczyński also reported that the outbreak reported in August has already died down. If no further outbreaks are detected, WOAH will declare Poland a country free from HPAI, and exports will be restored. “Nevertheless, all this complicates trade greatly,” he noted.