PH bans animal product imports from Germany amid threat of FMD

The Philippines has imposed a ban on the importation of animal products from Germany.

In a statement Wednesday, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said the temporary ban on importing commodities derived from animals susceptible to foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) from Germany was triggered by the reported outbreaks of the highly contagious virus that affects cloven-hoofed livestock.

The importation ban was implemented pursuant to DA Memorandum Order 8 issued on February 10, 2025.

On January 10, Germany notified the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) of confirmed FMD cases in domestic buffaloes in the municipality of Hoppegarten, located in the district of Märkisch-Oderland, Brandenburg, the DA said.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., in his order, stated that the import ban will remain in place until Germany regains its FMD-free status from WOAH.

Tiu Laurel also ordered a suspension on the issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances.

However, certain products are exempt from the ban, including ultra-high temperature milk and derivatives, heat-treated meat products in hermetically sealed containers, protein meal and gelatin, in vivo-derived bovine embryos, as well as limed hides, pickled pelts, and semi-processed leather, subject to the Philippines' import terms and conditions.

The DA said products already in transit or at ports are also exempt, provided they were sourced from animals slaughtered before December 26, 2024.

FMD is a highly contagious viral infection that primarily affects livestock, especially cattle. Other cloven-hoofed animals, including pigs, sheep, goats, and buffaloes, are also susceptible.

The disease poses a high mortality rate, particularly among young animals.

In 2024, the Philippines imported 3,177.5 metric tons of beef from Germany, accounting for approximately 0.5% of the country's total beef imports. Germany had also been a significant source of pork until 2020 when the DA imposed a separate ban due to an outbreak of African Swine Fever in Germany. — VDV, GMA Integrated News