Avian flu 2026: which zones in Canada, UK and USA are banned for poultry imports

Key data

If your company imports live poultry, reproductive products or fresh poultry meat from Canada, the United Kingdom or the United States, this regulation affects you from 23 March 2026. Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/737 amends Annexes V and XIV of Regulation 2021/404 to update which zones in those three countries remain authorised to export to the EU, in response to the evolution of highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks.

The risk is immediate: a consignment from a zone that is no longer listed as authorised may be detained or returned at the border. No transitional period is indicated in the regulation.

What does this regulation establish?

Regulation 2026/737 updates the list of zones in third countries from which poultry products are permitted to enter the European Union. Specifically, it amends two annexes of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404:

The reason for the changes is the evolution of highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks in those territories. The EU applies a zoning system: it does not ban the entire country, but delimits which specific zones within each country may continue to export. When a new outbreak appears, the affected zone is suspended; when it is controlled, it may be reinstated.

This means that a supplier who was valid weeks ago may have been removed from the authorised list, or conversely: a previously suspended zone may have had its authorisation restored.

Economic and operational impact

The impact is not abstract. It directly affects the supply chain of any company that imports poultry products from these three countries:

• Detention of consignments at the border: If the goods come from an unauthorised zone, customs and sanitary authorities may detain or return them. Costs include storage, return transport, loss of the product and possible contractual penalties with the supplier.
• Review of supplier contracts: Supply contracts that do not include sanitary zoning clauses may generate disputes if the supplier falls within a banned zone.
• Updating sanitary certificates: Exporters from Canada, UK and USA must issue updated sanitary certificates in line with the new zoning. If the Spanish importer does not require this updated document, they assume the risk at the border.
• Impact on wholesale distributors and meat companies: A supply disruption due to detained consignments may affect production planning and delivery commitments to end customers.

Who is affected?

• Spanish importers of live poultry, reproductive products and fresh poultry meat from Canada, the United Kingdom or the United States.
• Wholesale distributors that act as intermediaries between suppliers from these three countries and the Spanish or European market.
• Meat companies that use fresh poultry meat or game bird meat of Canadian, British or American origin in their production processes.
• Exporters from Canada, UK and USA selling to Spain and the EU: they must update their sanitary certificates in line with the new zoning for their consignments to be allowed entry.
• Purchasing and supply chain managers in agri-food sector companies managing contracts with suppliers from these countries.

Practical example

A Spanish meat company regularly imports fresh chicken meat from a supplier located in a region of the United States. Until March 2026, that region was listed in Annex XIV of Regulation 2021/404 as an authorised zone.

Following the publication of Regulation 2026/737 on 25 March 2026, the company does not verify whether its supplier's zone remains authorised. It places the usual order and the consignment arrives at the Spanish border with a sanitary certificate that no longer corresponds to an authorised zone under the new zoning.

Result: the consignment is detained at the point of entry. The company bears the costs of border storage, return transport and loss of the goods if they cannot be redirected. In addition, it fails to meet its delivery commitments to its customers in Spain.

The solution is straightforward but requires immediate action: before any new order, verify in the updated annexes of Regulation 2021/404 that the supplier's zone is still listed as authorised, and require the updated sanitary certificate in line with the new zoning.

What should companies do now?

1. Verify the zoning of each supplier: Consult the updated Annexes V and XIV of Regulation 2021/404 as amended by Regulation 2026/737. Check that the exact geographical zone of each supplier from Canada, UK or USA is still listed as authorised.
2. Require updated sanitary certificates: Before processing any new order, request from the supplier the sanitary certificate issued in accordance with the new zoning. Do not accept documentation dated before 23 March 2026 without verifying its validity.
3. Review supply contracts: Include or activate clauses that account for the possibility of suspension due to sanitary zoning changes, to protect the company against supply disruptions not attributable to its own management.
4. Alert the logistics and customs department: Inform those responsible for imports and customs clearance about the zoning changes so that they apply the relevant checks to each consignment from these three countries.
5. Establish a regulatory monitoring system: Avian flu outbreaks evolve and zoning changes frequently. Implement an alert mechanism to detect future amendments to Regulation 2021/404 before they affect consignments in transit.

Official source

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, please consult a qualified professional. Source: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/./legal-content/AUTO/?uri=CELEX:32026R0737