ICYMI: Nigeria, Ghana, Germany… China bans livestock imports from 15 countries

China has imposed a ban on the importation of sheep, goats, poultry, and even-toed ungulates from several African, Asian, and European countries due to outbreaks of livestock diseases such as sheep pox, goat pox, and foot-and-mouth disease.

According to Reuters on Tuesday, the ban, which covers both processed and unprocessed animal products, was announced by the General Administration of China Customs (GACC) on January 21.

The decision follows reports from the World Organisation for Animal Health detailing disease outbreaks in various countries.

Among the affected countries are Germany, Nigeria, Ghana, Somalia, Qatar, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Egypt, Bulgaria, East Timor, and Eritrea.

China said it has also halted imports of sheep, goats, and related products from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and the occupied Palestinian territories, due to reported cases of sheep pox and goat pox.

“China also blocked the imports of even-toed ungulates and related products from Germany following an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease,“ the customs added.

The country has previously imposed similar restrictions when disease outbreaks have occurred in other regions.

In December 2019, China banned both direct and indirect imports of cattle and relevant products from India due to the country’s outbreak of infectious lumpy skin disease.

Also, the country banned meat exports from a West Coast cold storage facility near the Port of Oakland in July 2022 after traces of the feed additive ractopamine were found in beef shipments, disrupting an important trade gateway to Asia.

The GACC noted that it would continue to monitor global disease outbreaks and adjust its import policies accordingly.