Imports, exports and EU trade of animals and animal products: topical issues

This page provides details on particular issues or changes that importers and exporters may need to be aware of.

You can read a collection of all the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ (Defra) guidance and forms for importing and exporting live animals or animal products.

Defra’s animal disease monitoring collection covers major, notifiable or new and emerging animal disease outbreaks internationally and in the UK.

Prohibition on feeder rodents imported from Lithuania

An ongoing outbreak of Salmonella enteritidis among the UK public has been linked to mice imported from Lithuania for use as animal feed, particularly for reptiles. The risk posed to public health has led to a decision to prohibit imports of feeder rodents (mice and rats for use as animal feed) from Lithuania into the UK, coming into force from 17 February 2022.

The following safeguard measures give effect to this decision. These are published on behalf of the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (England), the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd (Wales), the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Northern Ireland) and Food Standards Scotland:

• feeder rodents imported from Lithuania: declaration of special measures (England) (PDF, 153 KB, 2 pages)
• feeder rodents imported from Lithuania: declaration of special measures (Wales) (PDF, 181 KB, 2 pages), Welsh version (PDF, 159 KB, 2 pages)
• feeder rodents imported from Lithuania: declaration of special measures (Northern Ireland) (PDF, 141 KB, 2 pages)
• feeder rodents imported from Lithuania: declaration of special measures (Scotland)

The special measures shall continue to apply until revoked or amended. The measures will be reviewed over the coming months to take into account any actions taken by the Lithuanian authorities to control the risk from imports of feeder rodents in the long term.

Avian influenza (bird flu) outside the UK

This section was updated on 30 September 2021.

Our research reports provide preliminary and updated outbreak assessments for avian influenza (bird flu) in Europe, Russia and in the UK.

You cannot import poultry and poultry products into the UK from disease control zones around confirmed cases of avian flu in other EU countries.

You must not import from third (non-EU) countries with an outbreak of avian influenza unless they comply with specific requirements in Commission Regulation (EC) 798/2008.

Lifting of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) import restrictions: Ukraine

Since December 2020, imports of poultry products from Ukraine to Great Britain have been suspended due to outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).

The Ukrainian authorities have supplied information to Defra about the epidemiological situation and the measures taken to control the outbreaks.

An assessment of risk led by Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (in consultation with the Food Standards Agency) concluded that allowing imports of poultry products from Ukraine to resume poses an acceptable level of risk to public and animal health in Great Britain. This is provided the consignments originate from outside the areas affected by HPAI.

Based on that assessment, Defra, Scottish and Welsh governments have agreed to allow trade to resume.

A Statutory Instrument (The Approved Country Lists (Animals and Animal Products) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2021) came into force on 17 December 2021 to implement this decision.

Lifting of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) import restrictions: Australia

Since July 2020, imports of poultry and poultry products from Australia to Great Britain have been suspended due to outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).

The Australian authorities have supplied information to Defra about the epidemiological situation and the measures taken to control the outbreaks.

An assessment of risk led by Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (in consultation with the Food Standards Agency) concluded that allowing imports of poultry and poultry products from Australia to resume poses an acceptable level of risk to public and animal health in Great Britain.

Based on that assessment, Defra, Scottish and Welsh governments have agreed to allow trade to resume.

A Statutory Instrument (The Approved Country Lists (Animals and Animal Products) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2021) came into force on 17 December 2021 to implement this decision.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Botswana

On 6 September 2021, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) was notified of an outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) of subtype H5N1 by authorities in Botswana. The outbreak was confirmed on a poultry farm outside of Gaborone.

In order to prevent the introduction of HPAI into Great Britain, Botswana is no longer authorised to certify and export poultry of live breeding or productive ratites, day old chicks of ratites, hatching eggs of ratites and meat of farmed ratites to Great Britain for human consumption. Full details on the commodities affected and new restrictions are available in the declarations below.

• Highly pathogenic avian influenza in Botswana: declaration of special measures (England) (PDF, 19 KB, 2 pages)
• Highly pathogenic avian influenza in Botswana: declaration of special measures (Scotland) (PDF, 27.7 KB, 2 pages)
• Highly pathogenic avian influenza in Botswana: declaration of special measures (Wales) (PDF, 20.9 KB, 2 pages), Welsh version (PDF, 21.5 KB, 2 pages)

These safeguarding measures prohibiting imports of susceptible commodities from Botswana are published on behalf of the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (England), Scottish Ministers and the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales and the Trefnydd, (one of the Welsh Ministers).

These restrictions will be put in place until all the necessary criteria of assurances to resume certification of trade to Great Britain are met.

Avian influenza (bird flu) in the UK

This section was updated on 21 December 2020.

Our avian influenza (bird flu) page covers the latest situation and advice to bird keepers on measures to protect against the disease. This includes specific information on import and export issues.

Bluetongue virus in Europe

The bluetongue guide covers the latest situation and advice on measures to protect against the disease. If you are moving live animals or animal products, read guidance about  importing and exporting.

If you are moving goats, cervids (deer) or other susceptible ruminants, contact the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s (APHA) Centre for International Trade (CIT) Carlisle about the restrictions.

There are similar restrictions on the trade in germinal products (semen, ova and embryos) of cattle, sheep and goats. APHA’s imports of live animals and genetic material importer information notes explains these restrictions.

African swine fever (ASF)

Defra’s African swine fever guide covers the latest situation, how to spot ASF, what to do if you suspect it and measures to prevent its spread.

If you are exporting animals and animal products to the UK check the regions of EU Member States restricted due to ASF outbreaks.

Before importing ASF virus susceptible animals, germplasm and products from these areas, you should consider your biosecurity requirements.

You should also discuss additional options such as other sources of trade with your private vet and livestock dealer.

Follow the guidance on importing and exporting animals or animal products.

For more information see:

• ASF virus in Europe outbreak assessments
• the map of restriction zones in place across Europe

Chronic wasting disease

Norwegian authorities have reported cases of chronic wasting disease (CWD). To control the spread of disease, the following trade restrictions are in place:

• you cannot import reindeer and other cervid species (deer) from Norway to UK or countries in the EU
• you cannot import any of the following unprocessed products into the UK: deer urine, deer faeces, and lures obtained from deer for use in deer hunting or other deer attracting activities which contain the above animal by-products
• you cannot import deer products into the UK if they were manufactured in the USA, Canada, South Korea and Norway (where CWD is present) or produced from deer products from those countries
• you can only import products from countries free from CWD under certain conditions

Some areas of Sweden and Finland also have trade restrictions in place for live cervids (deer), because of the risk of this disease spreading through movements of free ranging animals. APHA’s Importer Information Note (ABP IIN 44) explains the ban and the procedure to follow to import processed products.

Read our qualitative risk assessment for the risk of CWD being introduced into Great Britain.

Lumpy skin disease in Europe

Outbreaks of lumpy skin disease were confirmed in bovine holdings in Greece and Bulgaria between 2015 and 2017. Although no outbreaks were reported from these countries in the past 4 years, vaccination is still taking place and restrictions remain until disease free status is restored. 

To prevent the spread of disease, restrictions have been put in place on movements from the affected areas of:

• live bovine animals
• bovine genetic material (semen, ova and embryos)
• milk and dairy products from bovine animals
• unprocessed animal by-products of bovine animals
• bovine skins and hides

Defra’s lumpy skin disease guide covers how to spot lumpy skin disease, what to do if you suspect it and measures to prevent it.

Crabs to Hong Kong: residue testing

This section was updated on 27 March 2019.

The import restrictions on live brown crab exported from Anglesey, Wales introduced by the Hong Kong authorities remain in place. Brown crabs from Anglesey, should not be exported to Hong Kong until the situation is resolved.

Restrictions on trade of agricultural commodities to the Russian Federation

This section was updated on 27 March 2019.

The Russian Federation has banned the import of a number of agricultural commodities from the whole of the EU including the UK and also the USA, Canada, Australia and Norway until December 2019. The ban was imposed on 7 August 2014.

Banned products

The ban covers many agricultural products, raw materials, plants and foodstuffs including most meat, dairy and fish.

If you need to check whether a particular product is affected, please contact APHA or Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).

Withdrawal of Export Health Certificates for the Russian Federation

In the light of this, APHA and DAERA have withdrawn all Export Health Certificates for the animals and animal products affected, for the duration of this ban. This also applies to consignments of these commodities transiting through the Russian Federation to another destination. But there may be exceptions so you should check.

Any exporter planning to send any consignment (including live animals) to the Russian Federation should get assurances from importers in the Russian Federation that the consignment will be accepted. If consignments of live animals are blocked at the border of the Russian Federation, re-entry into the UK or any other member state is not permitted under EU law. Exceptions may be considered in specific cases.

You should also see the Department for International Trade’s guide on exporting to Russia.

Contacts

Contact APHA’s Centre for International Trade (CIT) Carlisle for advice about imports and exports to and from Great Britain.

Exporters in Northern Ireland should contact:

• Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA)
• Telephone: 0300 200 7840
• email: daera.helpline@daera-ni.gov.uk