China Bans Chilean Poultry Imports After Avian Flu Outbreak

Immediate ban on all Chilean poultry

China's customs authority has decreed an immediate ban on all imports of poultry and derived products from Chile, citing new cases of avian influenza detected in the South American country. The measure was reported by Reuters and BioBioChile, which said Beijing aims to shield its livestock industry and maintain biosecurity standards.

The Chinese administration was unequivocal: any poultry shipment from Chile that attempts to enter illegally will be seized and destroyed by border authorities. The block applies to poultry meat and all associated products.

A key market cut off for Chilean exporters

China is a critical destination for Chile's poultry sector. In 2022, it accounted for 15% of Chilean poultry exports, with a volume of close to 29,000 tonnes, according to Reuters cited by BioBioChile. Before these disruptions, the Asian country ranked as the third most important market for Chilean poultry producers.

For exporters, the halt removes a major buyer at short notice and redirects volumes toward other destinations or the domestic market. For importers in China, the ban tightens available supply from a previously reliable origin and shifts sourcing toward alternative countries.

Broader biosecurity pressure in China

The decision comes as China tightens sanitary controls more generally. According to BioBioChile, the country is also dealing with a local outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in its northwestern region, having reported cases in more than 200 head of cattle, which has placed its epidemiological surveillance services on high alert.

Avian influenza is a highly contagious viral disease affecting both domestic and wild birds, and less frequently mammals and humans. The viruses are divided into subtypes based on two surface proteins, hemagglutinin (H1 to H18) and neuraminidase (N1 to N9), producing combinations such as H5N1, H5N3 and H5N8, and they evolve rapidly.

Chile reinforces on-farm measures

In Chile, amid avian influenza outbreaks recorded in some regions, Agriculture Minister Jaime Campos issued an urgent call for poultry owners to strengthen biosecurity measures in their coops, particularly by avoiding contact with wild birds that may carry the virus. Authorities reiterated the importance of immediately reporting any suspected infection to the Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG).

Warning signs include loss of appetite, lack of coordination, ruffled plumage, respiratory difficulty with nasal discharge, diarrhea, reduced egg-laying with soft or deformed shells, head swelling, bluish coloring of the comb, wattles or legs, prostration or death. Officials stressed that early detection is key to containing exotic diseases such as avian influenza, whose risk rises this season due to bird migration.