KUWAIT CITY, June 9: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced Sunday, through the Official Gazette, updates on import regulations for poultry products in response to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks in several countries and US states.

The ministry lifted the ban on importing all types of poultry meat—fresh, chilled, frozen, processed—along with derivatives, products, and table eggs from Iran and certain US states where the HPAI outbreaks have ended. These states include Minnesota, California, North Dakota, Montana, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Washington, and North Carolina.

At the same time, the ministry imposed bans on imports of poultry meat, derivatives, products, and table eggs from regions still affected by HPAI. These include parts of South Dakota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New Mexico in the US, as well as the Czech Republic and the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The bans exclude poultry products that have undergone heat treatment at 70 degrees Celsius and meet health and safety standards. Such products must be accompanied by official health certificates from accredited authorities, confirming they are free of the virus or that the virus has been eliminated.

These measures aim to safeguard Kuwait’s poultry sector and public health while facilitating imports from safe and certified sources.