Kazakhstan Imposes Avian Product Restrictions Amid Avian Influenza Outbreak

Kazakhstan has imposed temporary import restrictions on live poultry, poultry meat, raw poultry products, bird feed, down, feathers, and hunting trophies from specific regions in France, Slovakia, Hungary, and Poland due to highly pathogenic avian influenza

KAZAKHSTAN – AVIAN PRODUCTS

Kazakhstan Bans Poultry Imports from Europe

Imports from four countries restricted to stop avian flu spread.

What changed

Live poultry and hatching eggs banned from designated regions in France, Slovakia, Hungary, and Poland.

Poultry meat and raw products prohibited from affected regions.

Bird feed, down, feathers, and hunting trophies banned (excluding plant-based or synthetic feed additives).

Used equipment for keeping, slaughtering, and processing birds prohibited from Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland.

Transit of live poultry through Kazakhstan territory banned from Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland.

Who it affects

Importers of poultry products from France, Slovakia, Hungary, and Poland must halt shipments from affected regions.

Transit operators cannot move live poultry through Kazakhstan from Poland’s Pomeranian Voivodeship.

Poultry producers in affected regions must find alternative markets for their products.

Kazakhstan — avian product import restrictions due to influenza

Regulation Analysis: Temporary Import Restrictions on Poultry and Related Products Due to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan has imposed temporary import restrictions on live poultry, poultry products, and related items from specific regions in France, Slovakia, Hungary, and Poland due to outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). These measures are enforced by the Committee for Veterinary Control and Surveillance of the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan and align with Chapter 10.6 of the WOAH Terrestrial Animal Health Code^{1, 2, 3}.

Key Restricted Products and Regions

The restrictions apply to the following products unless they have undergone specified treatments (e.g., heat treatment at ≥70°C for poultry meat/products)^{1, 4, 2, 3, 5}:

Product Category	Restricted Regions	Exceptions/Treatment Requirements
Live poultry and hatching eggs	France (11 departments), Slovakia (Prešov, Trnava), Hungary (Nógrád, Csongrád-Csanád), Poland (Pomeranian Voivodeship)	No exceptions – import and transit prohibited^{1, 4, 2, 3, 5}.
Poultry meat and raw poultry products	Same as above	Only permitted if heat-treated at ≥70°C^{1, 4, 2, 3, 5}.
Bird feed and feed additives	Same as above	Exempt: Feed additives of chemical, microbiological, or plant origin^{1, 4, 2, 3, 5}.
Down and feathers	Same as above	No exceptions – import prohibited^{1, 4, 2, 3, 5}.
Hunting trophies (feathered game)	Same as above	Only permitted if taxidermy-treated^{1, 4, 2, 3, 5}.
Used equipment for poultry keeping/slaughter	Same as above	No exceptions – import prohibited^{1, 4, 2, 3, 5}.

Regulatory Details by Source

1. France (11 Departments)

Effective Date: 10 February 2026¹.
Restricted Regions: Vendée, Drôme, Dunkirk, Calvados, Loire-Atlantique, Loir-et-Cher, Somme, Côtes-d’Armor, Yvelines, Deux-Sèvres, Allier¹.
Key Requirements:
- Prohibition on live poultry, hatching eggs, untreated poultry products, down/feathers, and used equipment¹.
- Transit of live poultry through Kazakhstan is banned¹.
- Feed additives of plant origin are exempt from restrictions¹.

2. Slovakia (Prešov and Trnava Regions)

Effective Date: 6 March 2026⁴.
Key Requirements:
- Identical restrictions as France, excluding plant-based feed additives (not mentioned as exempt)⁴.

3. Hungary (Nógrád and Csongrád-Csanád Counties)

Effective Dates:
- Nógrád County: 16 February 2026².
- Csongrád-Csanád County: 4 March 2026³.
Key Requirements:
- Same as Slovakia, with no exemptions for plant-based feed additives^{2, 3}.

4. Poland (Pomeranian Voivodeship)

Effective Date: 2 July 2025⁵.
Key Requirements:
- Restrictions mirror those for Hungary, including prohibition on live poultry transit⁵.
- Note: Restrictions were initially imposed due to Newcastle disease but later expanded to include HPAI⁵.

Regulatory Authority and Compliance

Enforcing Body: Committee for Veterinary Control and Surveillance, Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan^{1, 4, 2, 3, 5}.
Legal Basis:
- Decision of the Eurasian Economic Commission No. 149 (16 May 2016) on temporary sanitary/veterinary measures⁵.
- WOAH Terrestrial Animal Health Code (Chapter 10.6)^{1, 2, 3}.
Objective: Food safety, animal health, and human protection from HPAI^{1, 2, 3, 5}.

Summary Answer

Kazakhstan has imposed temporary import restrictions on live poultry, untreated poultry products, bird feed (with exceptions), down/feathers, hunting trophies, and used poultry equipment from specific regions in France, Slovakia, Hungary, and Poland due to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The measures, effective between 2 July 2025 and 6 March 2026 (varies by region), require heat treatment (≥70°C) for poultry products, taxidermy for hunting trophies, and prohibit live poultry transit^{1, 4, 2, 3, 5}. Exemptions apply to feed additives of chemical, microbiological, or plant origin (where specified)¹. The restrictions align with WOAH standards and are enforced by the Committee for Veterinary Control and Surveillance^{1, 2, 3}.

Sources

↩ docs.wto.org — imrd / directdoc — imrd / directdoc https://docs.wto.org/imrd/directdoc.asp?DDFDocuments/T/G/SPS/NKAZ224.docx
↩ docs.wto.org — imrd / directdoc — imrd / directdoc https://docs.wto.org/imrd/directdoc.asp?DDFDocuments/T/G/SPS/NKAZ223.docx
↩ docs.wto.org — imrd / directdoc — imrd / directdoc https://docs.wto.org/imrd/directdoc.asp?DDFDocuments/T/G/SPS/NKAZ227.docx
↩ docs.wto.org — imrd / directdoc — imrd / directdoc https://docs.wto.org/imrd/directdoc.asp?DDFDocuments/T/G/SPS/NKAZ225.docx
↩ docs.wto.org — imrd / directdoc — imrd / directdoc https://docs.wto.org/imrd/directdoc.asp?DDFDocuments/T/G/SPS/NKAZ218.DOCX