The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has temporarily stopped granting import licences to US poultry products as from May 1 due to a complicated avian flu situation in the country.

The Animal Health Department (AHD) has urged relevant agencies across the country to strictly manage poultry meat imported from the US.

Nguyen Xuan Binh, Director of the AHD (Zone 6), said that contracts signed before May 1, and are on way to Vietnam, will be allowed to clear customs.  However, these products must undergo strict health quarantine inspections.

Avian flu, or “bird flu”, appeared in the US in late 2014 and spread widely in recent times. Many countries temporarily banned importing poultry and poultry products from the US, Mexico, Canada, China, Angola and Russia.

The US is one of the main frozen poultry meat suppliers to Vietnam. According to Vietnam Customs, the US has imported more than 34,000 tonnes of frozen chicken for the first quarter of this year, a year-on-year increase of 46%.