The Association of Independent Meat Suppliers has welcomed the opening of the South Korean market for poultry meat exports.
Following the announcement earlier this week that UK traders are now able to export poultry to South Africa for the first time in eight years, The Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS) has welcomed the news that a further market, South Korea, has now been re-opened.
“The export market to South Korea for both poultry and poultry meat products was placed on hold in November 2020,” said Tony Goodger, spokesperson for AIMS, “and it is great that as a result of the UK being declared free from Avian Influenza earlier this year that UK trade negotiators have been able to successfully re-open this high value market.”
“In addition to South Africa and South Korea reopening Export Health Certificate (EHC) 1805, ‘Export fresh poultry meat to Antigua’ has also returned to ‘active’ status having been placed on hold due to a Caribbean ban in March 2021.
“I have been in regular contact with the Animal and Plant Health Authority (APHA) on behalf of AIMS members in relation to UK EHCs being ‘on hold’ or where trade barriers have been placed to try to understand what needs to be done to enable AIMS members as well as other exporters access these markets”, Tony continued.
“The key market that AIMS would like to now see reopen for poultry exports is EHC 7570, Export poultry meat, meat preparations and mechanically recovered poultry meat to Saudi Arabia which has been ‘on hold’ since October 2020.
“My understanding, having been in contact with the Updates Team at APHAs Centre for International Trade, is that this is unlikely to be resolved soon,” said Tony.
“I can only speculate but the recent announcement from The Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Company (SALIC) that it now holds double-digit stakes in the world’s third and seventh largest poultry producers, having taken a 12.6% stake in Ukrainian business MHP, may mean that UK poultry producers will have to wait some time before gaining access to this valuable Middle East Market.”
