Import Alert: Restrictions on Duck Commodities Originating from or Transiting the 

APHIS-defined European Poultry Trade Region (Excluding Great Britain), Bulgaria, 

Croatia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland 

Issuance Date: September 29, 2023

10:00 Eastern time

Effective date: October 1, 2023

NOTE: This import alert details restrictions specific to duck commodities originating from or 

transiting through certain European countries. For restrictions effective October 1, 2023, specific 

to avian commodities originating from or transiting through France, please see the import alert 

issued on September 29, 2023, entitled “Import Alert: Restrictions on Avian Commodities 

Originating from or Transiting France.”

Effective October 1, 2023, and until further notice, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and 

Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Veterinary Services (VS) is restricting the importation 

of live ducks, duck hatching eggs, unprocessed duck products and byproducts, and certain fresh 

duck products from the APHIS-defined European Poultry Trade Region (EPTR, excluding Great 

Britain), as well as the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries (Iceland, 

Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland). Any of these commodities originating from or 

transiting through the EPTR (excluding Great Britain), and/or EFTA countries are prohibited, 

based on the uncertainty surrounding controls for preventing ducks and duck commodities 

derived from HPAI-vaccinating French flocks from entering the European common market. The 

restrictions on these commodities apply to shipments accompanied by zoosanitary certificates

issued by an official of the competent veterinary authority on or after the effective date. 

APHIS previously restricted the importation of poultry, commercial birds, other types of birds 

(research, performing), ratites, any avian hatching eggs, unprocessed avian products and byproducts, and certain fresh poultry products from Bulgaria and Croatia due to the presence of 

highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and Newcastle disease (ND) in those regions. These 

restrictions remain in effect. 

Under the aforementioned restrictions, processed duck products and byproducts originating from 

or transiting the EPTR (excluding Great Britain), Bulgaria, Croatia, and/or EFTA countries, 

imported as cargo, must be accompanied by an APHIS import permit and/or government 

certification confirming that the products were treated according to APHIS requirements.

Importation, as cargo, of fresh, unprocessed duck shell/table eggs and other duck egg products, 

void of the shell (i.e., liquid eggs, dried egg whites, etc.), originating from or transiting the EPTR 

(excluding Great Britain), Bulgaria, Croatia, and/or EFTA countries, is prohibited unless they are 

consigned from the port of arrival directly to an APHIS-approved breaking and pasteurization 

facility. An import permit and/or certificate is not required for these shipments when consigned 

directly to an APHIS-approved establishment.
Processed duck products and byproducts, including duck egg/egg products, for personal use 

originating from or transiting the EPTR (excluding Great Britain), Bulgaria, Croatia, and/or 

EFTA countries, entering in passenger baggage must: 

• have a thoroughly cooked appearance; and 

• be shelf-stable as a result of APHIS-approved packaging and cooking (i.e., packaged in

hermetically sealed containers and cooked by a commercial method after such packing to 

produce articles that are shelf stable without refrigeration); or 

• be accompanied by an APHIS import permit and/or government certification confirming 

that the products/byproducts were treated according to APHIS requirements.

Unprocessed duck products and byproducts originating from or transiting the EPTR (excluding 

Great Britain), Bulgaria, Croatia, and/or EFTA countries, will not be permitted to enter the 

United States. This includes hunter harvested, non-fully finished duck trophies and meat. 

Importation of live ducks and duck hatching eggs will be prohibited. However, zoo ducks may 

be imported in accordance with the current certification, permitting, and quarantine requirements 

detailed on the APHIS Zoological Birds import website. 

These restrictions will be updated as additional epidemiological information is obtained. Current 

information can be found on the APHIS website.