Argentina poultry exports to EU to resume after market reopening

Argentina will be able to resume exports of fresh poultry meat and fresh poultry products to the European Union from August 17, 2026, after the bloc recognized the country’s recovery of its status as free from highly pathogenic avian influenza.

The reopening was confirmed under Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1813, published in the Official Journal of the European Union on July 28.

Argentina’s Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries said the decision follows the recovery of the country’s animal health status in line with recommendations from the World Organisation for Animal Health.

The measure allows Argentina poultry exports to EU markets to regain access to one of the world’s most demanding destinations for animal protein, after restrictions linked to avian influenza disrupted shipments of fresh poultry products.

The Argentine government said the reopening reflects joint work by SENASA, the Secretariat of Agriculture, the Foreign Ministry and the poultry industry. Official missions to the European Union in recent months also helped support the process.

According to the government, Argentina’s sanitary system was able to control and eradicate the outbreaks, restore its animal health status and obtain the reopening of a key commercial destination.

According to Datamar data, Argentina exported only 3,674 TEUs of poultry meat in the January-May period. Compared with the same period a year earlier, the volume was down 24.9%, reflecting the shipment hurdles seen over the past year.

Poultry Meat Exports – Argentina | Jan 2023 – May 2026 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

EU market seen as strategic for Argentina’s poultry sector

The European Union is a strategic market for Argentine poultry exports because of its high sanitary and food-safety standards. Access to the bloc strengthens the position of Argentina’s poultry industry and may help support entry into other international markets.

The main destinations for Argentine poultry within the EU include the Netherlands, Spain and Germany.

The reopening is also relevant in the context of the Mercosur-European Union agreement, as it will allow Argentina to make use of the preferential poultry quota included in the deal.

In 2025, Argentina’s poultry meat exports to the EU were worth more than $14 million, up 32% from 2024. Those shipments included whole poultry, cuts and frozen edible offal.

For exporters and logistics operators, the reopening of the EU market is a key step in the recovery of Argentina’s poultry trade. It also reinforces the importance of sanitary compliance, traceability and market-access negotiations for animal protein exporters.

The decision gives Argentina’s poultry sector a chance to rebuild fresh product shipments to Europe while strengthening confidence in the country’s animal health controls and export certification system.

Source: Argentina’s ag ministry

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