Hanoi (VNA) - The Philippines has issued a temporary ban on the importation of animal products from Germany amid a recent outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the European country.
The order shall take effect immediately and remain enforced unless revoked in writing, Philippine media reported on February 12.
Philippine Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said in a memorandum that the import ban is part of the government's emergency measure to prevent the dangerous communicable animal disease from infecting local animals.
However, certain products are exempt from the ban such as ultra-high temperature milk and derivatives, heat-treated meat products in hermetically sealed containers, protein meal, and gelatin.
Germany notified the World Organisation for Animal Health of confirmed FMD cases in domestic buffaloes in January.
Official data showed that the Philippines imported nearly 3,178 tonnes of beef from Germany in 2024, accounting for around 0.5% its total beef imports./.
