Cuba resumes U.S. chicken imports after bird flu halt - traders

Cuba resumes U.S. chicken imports after bird flu halt: traders
HAVANA | BY MARC FRANK

Cuba has purchased at least 30 million pounds (13 million kg) of U.S.
chicken for delivery in October, traders told Reuters, ending a
two-month suspension that Cuba attributed to a bird flu epidemic
affecting the U.S. poultry industry.

A letter emailed in June to 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."

Alimport has not publicly commented on the issue and did not immediately
respond to requests from Reuters to confirm the lifting of the ban.

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.

Chicken accounts for about half of U.S. agricultural exports to Cuba,
which are down about 40 percent this year, the council said.

The United States is dealing with its worst outbreak of bird flu on
record. More than 50 million chickens, turkeys and other birds were
culled by August of this year.

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

(Reporting by Marc Frank; Editing by Daniel Trotta and Bill Rigby)

Source: Cuba resumes U.S. chicken imports after bird flu halt: traders |
Reuters -
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/07/us-cuba-usa-trade-idUSKCN0S121J20151007