Japan suspends poultry imports from Brazil after bird flu outbreak

 

The Japanese Ministry of Agriculture announced on Monday the suspension of imports of poultry meat from Montenegro in southern Brazil and live poultry from Rio Grande do Sul state, following the confirmation of an avian influenza outbreak at a Brazilian poultry farm.

This decision, which took effect last Friday, comes at a time when Japan relies heavily on Brazilian imports, which account for approximately 70 percent of its total poultry imports. Japan imported approximately 429,000 tons of Brazilian chicken meat in fiscal year 2024.

The ministry explained that Japan's self-sufficiency rate for poultry meat is only about 65 percent, leaving the country vulnerable to the impact of this decision on already rising food prices.

"We will continue to closely monitor the impact of this decision on domestic distribution and market conditions," a ministry official said, referring to concerns about the repercussions of the ban on the stability of the Japanese meat market.