Chile suspends Argentina poultry imports after detection of bird flu case

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SANTIAGO (Reuters) -Chile temporarily suspended poultry imports from Argentina on Monday after a case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), commonly known as bird flu, was detected in the province of Buenos Aires.

The Argentine government confirmed the case on August 19 and announced it was halting shipments of poultry products to some countries.

In a statement announcing the suspension, Chile’s Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG) said it was still accepting exports dated through August 4.

On August 20, China also suspended poultry imports from Argentina, five months after it had lifted a two-year ban related to a 2023 bird flu case.

The SAG said Chile imported 7,648 metric tons of poultry meat from Argentina between July 2024 and August 2025, representing about 8% of the country’s poultry imports. When it comes to eggs, Argentina accounted for a total of 30% of imports, or 704 tons, in the same time period.

The SAG added that it was elevating the alert level and increasing monitoring on poultry farms around the country and is encouraging farmers to report any sign of sickness or unusual deaths.

Argentina’s national health service (Senasa) has said exports would resume if no further outbreaks were detected in commercial establishments following 28 days of slaughter, cleaning, and disinfection.

A spokesperson for Argentina’s secretary of agriculture did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Alexander Villegas; additional reporting by Maximilian Heath in Buenos Aires, Editing by Daina Beth Solomon, Cassandra Garrison, and Brendan O’Boyle)