Oman has lifted its ban on poultry imports from the United States. The ban had been in place since May in response to the avian influenza outbreak that infected flocks in Western and Midwestern states.
Officials from the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) confirmed on November 24 that the ban had been lifted.
The last confirmed case of avian influenza in the United States was reported in June, when a layer flock in Iowa was hit by H5N2 avian influenza. Oman’s lifting of its ban on U.S. poultry follows a recent report from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), which stated the H5N2 avian influenza is resolved and the U.S. can declare itself free of the virus.
While avian influenza was not reported in any of the U.S. states in the Atlantic flyway, numerous eastern states, such as Virginia, were affected by the ban.
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe recently returned from Oman during his trade and marketing mission to India and the Middle East to celebrate the lifting of the country’s ban on poultry imports from Virginia and many other states.
"This is another great win in the international market for Virginia's agriculture industry," McAuliffe stated in a press release. "As we begin to place a strategic focus on the Middle East, I am pleased to open access once again for our poultry producers to a growing export destination. I want to thank Ambassador Al-Mughairy and the government of Oman for working with us and our federal partners at the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) to end the country's ban on poultry from Virginia. It's steps like these that will keep Virginia agricultural producers competitive in the world market and lead Virginia to become the East Coast capital for agricultural and forestry exports."
