After more than 15 months of negotiation and health diplomacy between French, American and Canadian authorities, the United States and Canada have lifted their embargoes on certain French poultry sectors. These embargoes were a consequence of the implementation of the duck vaccination program against highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in France.
On January 16, 2025, the United States lifted the embargo on French exports of poultry and poultry products (except ducks), including avian genetics products (hatching eggs and day-old chicks), as well as the embargo on exports of ducks and duck products from other European Union Member States. On December 24, 2024, Canada had lifted all restrictions on exports of French avian genetics (hatching eggs and day-old chicks). These embargoes took effect on October 1, 2023, the day of the launch of the French vaccination campaign against HPAI in ducks.
After more than a year of negotiations, the French authorities have succeeded in convincing the American and Canadian authorities of the safety of HPAI vaccination. The latter have therefore announced the lifting of restrictions on unvaccinated poultry and products/by-products derived from poultry from unvaccinated flocks, while “maintaining the safety of agricultural trade”. The French health authorities are currently in contact with their American and Canadian counterparts to finalize the terms for resuming exports of avian genetics (hatching eggs and day-old chicks) to these destinations.
France is currently continuing its second mandatory vaccination campaign for ducks against HPAI. This campaign, combined with the strict application of biosecurity measures, is indeed a pillar of prevention against HPAI.
As a reminder, the consumption of meat, foie gras and eggs – and more generally, any food product – from poultry vaccinated against HPAI does not present any risk to humans.
