After several Northwest backyard flocks turned up with avian flu, U.S. egg and poultry exports are being banned around the world - in South Korea, South Africa and the European Union so far.
And poultry experts worry more may follow.
Countries around the world lock it down fast if they fear importing diseases or insects in food. And opening up those markets once they are closed could take years.
Jim Sumner of the United States Poultry and Egg Export Council said in some cases there’s an economic incentive for the bans.
“Especially when it comes to U.S. poultry exports,” he said. “Because we can often put poultry, specifically broilers, into markets around the world for under the local domestic production cost.”
Sumner said the Northwest doesn’t export a lot of poultry products. But exports from other parts of the country that come through Northwest ports are subject to the ban.
