China has imposed a ban on the import 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 a series of announcements by China’s General Administration of Customs dated January 21, the ban covers both processed and unprocessed animal products. The decision follows reports from the World Health Organization on disease outbreaks in various regions.
The restriction affects imports from Ghana, Somalia, Qatar, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Nigeria, Tanzania, Egypt, Bulgaria, East Timor, and Eritrea. Additionally, China has halted imports of sheep, goats, and related products from Palestine, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh due to reported outbreaks of sheep pox and goat pox.
Furthermore, the ban extends to even-toed ungulates and related products from Germany after an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.
China, the world’s largest meat importer, frequently implements such measures to protect its domestic livestock industry from infectious diseases.
