UK Poultry Import Suspension from Western Isles
Overview
On October 5, 2026, Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries temporarily suspended imports of live poultry, poultry meat, and related products from the Western Isles of the United Kingdom. The measure followed an announcement by the UK animal health authority confirming highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5 subtype) at a poultry facility in the region. It aims to prevent the disease from entering Japan. The suspension is intended to prevent infection of live poultry raised in Japan, not to protect food hygiene. The source also lists import records from the United Kingdom by product.
Key points
- On October 5, 2026, Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries temporarily suspended imports of the covered products from the Western Isles of the United Kingdom.
- An outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5 subtype) was confirmed at a poultry facility in the region.
- The import suspension aims to prevent infection of live poultry raised in Japan.
Overview
The UK animal health authority announced that highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5 subtype) had been confirmed at a poultry facility in the Western Isles of the United Kingdom. In response, Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries temporarily suspended imports from the region to take every possible measure to prevent the disease from entering Japan.
Details
The suspension covers live poultry, poultry meat, and related products imported from the Western Isles of the United Kingdom. Imports of poultry meat and related products from a country or region affected by an outbreak are suspended to prevent viral infection of live poultry raised in Japan, not for food hygiene purposes.
Imports from the United Kingdom in 2023, 2024, and 2025, respectively, were as follows: live poultry, “-”, 6,906 birds, and 198,654 birds (total Japanese imports: 255,166, 306,325, and 438,309 birds); poultry meat, “-”, 0.4 tonnes, and 29.4 tonnes (total imports: 1,079,290, 1,159,638, and 1,139,574 tonnes). Poultry offal was “-” in each year (total imports: 325, 323, and 211 tonnes), and poultry eggs were also “-” in each year (total imports: 40,510, 24,983, and 34,076 tonnes). The source for live poultry is the Animal Quarantine Service’s Animal Quarantine Annual Report; the source for meat, offal, and eggs is the Ministry of Finance’s Trade Statistics.