Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Cuba suspends U.S. chicken imports over bird flu - traders

Cuba suspends U.S. chicken imports over bird flu: traders
By Marc Frank

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba has suspended imports of U.S. chicken citing a
bird flu epidemic ravaging the U.S. poultry industry, U.S. traders told
Reuters on Tuesday.

A letter e-mailed to the traders from Alimport, the Communist-run
country's food importer, said Cuba would not accept bids for delivery of
chicken in August and September, "taking into account the animal health
situation."

Cuba is allowed to purchase U.S. agricultural goods for cash under a
2000 exception to the trade embargo.

U.S. chicken exports to Cuba totaled $147.5 million in 2014, according
to the New York-based U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council, which
monitors the trade.

"The incidence of the influenza could continue to worsen and put at risk
the contracted supplies, which would impact our clients," the letter
from Roberto Zapata, Alimport's commercial director, said.

"We think it prudent for both parties to continue observing the
evolution of the same so as not to make decisions that compromise
immediate supplies," Zapata said in the letter.

Alimport did not immediately respond to requests from Reuters to confirm
the ban.

The United States is dealing with its worst outbreak of bird flu on
record. More than 44 million chickens, turkeys and other birds have been
culled since last December.

This is not the same avian influenza virus that has caused human
infections in Africa, Asia and Europe.

Dozens of countries have imposed total or partial bans on U.S. poultry
and egg imports since the outbreak of what is called highly pathogenic
avian influenza (HPAI).

Each of the top 10 importers has introduced restrictions. Total bans
have been imposed by China, South Korea and Angola, whose markets were
valued at nearly $700 million last year.

(Reporting by Marc Frank; Editing by Alden Bentley)

Source: Cuba suspends U.S. chicken imports over bird flu: traders -
Yahoo News -
http://news.yahoo.com/cuba-suspends-u-chicken-imports-over-bird-flu-124154817.html

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