THE Department of Agriculture (DA) has lifted the temporary ban on the importation of domestic and wild birds, and their products from the US state of California.
This was ordered by Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., through Department Circular 21, Series of 2026, signed on May 7.
The previous ban was issued in November 2022 following official reports submitted by California’s veterinary authorities to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), which indicated additional H5N1 high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI), or bird flu, affecting domestic birds in the said state.
The ban covered the importation of domestic and wild birds, and their products, including poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs and semen.
In the circular ordering the lifting of the ban, the DA cited official reports from US veterinary authorities to the WOAH showing that all reported cases of HPAI in the country have been resolved. It added that there have also been no further outbreaks since then.
The DA also noted that because the United States has a regionalization arrangement for HPAI with the Philippines, state-wide trade restrictions will only be in place if three or more counties are affected by HPAI.
With the order, the DA is allowing the resumption of the importation of meat and animal products from California. However, the DA said all import transactions for those products would still be subject to the agency’s existing import rules and regulations.
Tiu Laurel said the move to lift the import ban is significant to ensuring food security in the country.
“Lifting the import ban restores vital trade flows while protecting local agriculture. It ensures access to high-quality poultry products without compromising biosecurity,” he said.
The DA added that the lifting of the ban will likely contribute to stabilizing poultry supply and prices, noting that these have seen fluctuations during the import ban.
