Saudi Arabia Imposes Poultry Meat Bans on French Regions and Belgium

Saudi Arabia has imposed temporary import bans on poultry meat, eggs, and their products from specific French regions and Belgium due to sanitary concerns, including from Côtes-d’Armor, Calvados, Maine-et-Loire, Dordogne, Finistère, Landes, and Loir-et-Cher, as well as West-Flanders,.

Compliance Analysis: Temporary Import Bans on Poultry Products from France and Belgium in Saudi Arabia

Current Status of Import Bans (as of April 2026)

As of the latest available regulatory notices, Saudi Arabia has lifted all temporary import bans on poultry meat, eggs, and their products from the previously restricted regions in France and Belgium. The bans were imposed due to outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) and were subsequently revoked upon confirmation from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) that the affected regions were free of the virus. Below is a summary of the regulatory actions:

1. Overview of Temporary Bans and Lifting Measures

Saudi Arabia’s Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) imposed temporary import bans on poultry products from specific regions in France and Belgium between October 2025 and March 2026, citing compliance with WOAH Terrestrial Animal Health Code, Chapter 10.4^{1, 2}. The bans were lifted in stages as WOAH confirmed the absence of HPAI in the affected regions. The following table summarizes the key actions:

2. Regulatory Justification and Exceptions

2.1 Basis for Bans

The SFDA imposed the bans under emergency sanitary measures to prevent the introduction of HPAI into Saudi Arabia, aligning with:

• WOAH Terrestrial Animal Health Code, Chapter 10.4^{1, 2}, which provides guidelines for trade restrictions during animal disease outbreaks.
• Food safety and animal health objectives^{1, 2}, as HPAI poses risks to both livestock and human health.

2.2 Exceptions to Bans

The bans did not apply to processed poultry meat and egg products that met the following conditions:

1. Heat or other treatments sufficient to deactivate the HPAI virus^{1, 2}.
2. Compliance with approved health requirements and standards^{1, 2}.
3. Health certificate issued by official bodies in France/Belgium, proving the product was free from the HPAI virus^{1, 2}.

3. Authority and Compliance Procedures

3.1 Responsible Authority

• Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) is the sole regulatory body overseeing the bans and their lifting^{3, 4, 1, 2}.
• Contact for inquiries:

SFDA – Food Sector Address: SFDA – 4904 North Ring Branch Rd, Hitteen Dist, Unit No. (1), Riyadh 13513-7148 Tel: +(966 11) 203 8222, Ext: 3313 Email: spsep.food@sfda.gov.sa Website:³(http://www.sfda.gov.sa)^{3, 7}.

3.2 Notification Process

• The SFDA notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) of all bans and lifting measures^{3, 4, 1, 7}.
• Addenda were issued to:
  • Lift bans when WOAH confirmed HPAI-free status^{3, 4, 5, 6, 8}.
  • Modify or withdraw regulations as needed⁷.

4. Key Compliance Requirements for Importers

To ensure compliance with Saudi regulations, importers must:

1. Verify the origin of poultry products:
   • Confirm that products do not originate from banned regions (e.g., Maine-et-Loire, France or West-Flanders, Belgium, where bans may still apply)^{1, 2}.
   • Check the latest SFDA notices for updates on lifted bans^{3, 4, 5, 6}.

1. For processed products (exempt from bans):
   • Ensure products undergo heat or other treatments to deactivate HPAI^{1, 2}.
   • Obtain a health certificate from the official veterinary authority in the country of origin (e.g., France’s Ministère de l’Agriculture et de la Souveraineté Alimentaire or Belgium’s Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain)^{1, 2}.

1. Documentation:
   • Retain WOAH reports and SFDA notices to demonstrate compliance with lifting measures^{3, 4, 5, 6}.
   • Provide proof of origin and treatment certificates for processed products^{1, 2}.

1. Monitor updates:
   • Subscribe to SFDA notifications or WTO SPS alerts for real-time changes to import restrictions⁷.

5. Penalties for Non-Compliance

While the provided sources do not specify penalties, non-compliance with SFDA import bans typically results in:

• Seizure and destruction of non-compliant shipments^{8, 1}].
• Fines or legal action under Saudi Arabia’s Food and Drug Law (Royal Decree No. M/6 dated 25/1/1428H, corresponding to 2007).
• Suspension of import licenses for repeat violations.

Summary Answer

As of April 2026, Saudi Arabia has lifted all temporary import bans on poultry meat, eggs, and their products from Côtes-d’Armor, Calvados, Dordogne, Finistère, Landes, and Loir-et-Cher in France, following WOAH confirmation of HPAI-free status^{3, 4, 5, 6}. However, bans remain in effect for Maine-et-Loire (France)¹ and West-Flanders (Belgium)², pending further WOAH reports. Processed products (e.g., heat-treated poultry/eggs) are exempt from bans if accompanied by official health certificates proving HPAI deactivation^{1, 2}. Importers must verify origin, monitor SFDA updates, and maintain compliance documentation to avoid penalties. The SFDA is the sole authority overseeing these measures, with notifications circulated via the WTO SPS Committee^{3, 4, 1, 7, 2}.

Sources

1. ↩ Notice of Administration Order of Saudi Food and Drug Authority Ref. No. 36972 dated 1 March 2026 entitled “Temporary ban on importation of poultry meat, eggs and their products originating from Maine-et-Loire in France” https://docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages/SS/directdoc.aspx?filename=Q:/G/SPS/NSAU614.pdf&Open=True
2. ↩ Notice of Administration Order of Saudi Food and Drug Authority Ref. No. 18187 dated 26 October 2025 entitled “Temporary ban on importation of poultry meat, eggs and their products originating from West-Flanders in Belgium” https://docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages/SS/directdoc.aspx?filename=Q:/G/SPS/NSAU584.pdf&Open=True
3. ↩ Notice of Administration Order of Saudi Food and Drug Authority Ref. No. 30263 dated 11 January 2026 entitled “Temporary ban on importation of poultry meat, eggs and their products originating from Côtes-d’Armor in France” https://docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages/SS/directdoc.aspx?filename=Q:/G/SPS/NSAU611A1.pdf&Open=True
4. ↩ Notice of Administration Order of Saudi Food and Drug Authority Ref. No. 28179 dated 24 December 2025 entitled “Temporary ban on importation of poultry meat, eggs and their products originating from Calvados in France” https://docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages/SS/directdoc.aspx?filename=Q:/G/SPS/NSAU609A1.pdf&Open=True
5. ↩ Notice of Administration Order of Saudi Food and Drug Authority Ref. No. 23792 dated 25 November 2025 entitled “Temporary ban on importation of poultry meat, eggs and their products originating from Dordogne in France” https://docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages/SS/directdoc.aspx?filename=Q:/G/SPS/NSAU601A1.pdf&Open=True
6. ↩ Notice of Administration Order of Saudi Food and Drug Authority Ref. No. 27424 dated 18 December 2025 entitled “Temporary ban on importation of poultry meat, eggs and their products originating from Finistère, Landes and Loir-et-Cher in France” https://docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages/SS/directdoc.aspx?filename=Q:/G/SPS/NSAU607A1.pdf&Open=True
7. ↩ Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures – Notification of emergency measures – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – Poultry meat, eggs and their products – Addendum — SS / directdoc https://docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages/SS/directdoc.aspx?filename=Q:/G/SPS/NSAU604A1.pdf&Open=True
8. ↩ Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures – Notification of emergency measures – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – Poultry meat, eggs and their products – Addendum — SS / directdoc https://docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages/SS/directdoc.aspx?filename=Q:/G/SPS/NSAU574A1.pdf&Open=True