Chicken is back! Cuba lifts restrictions on Brazil

Cuba resumes importing Brazilian chicken after lifting restrictions due to bird flu.

Cuba is among the seven countries that have recently lifted restrictions on the import of Brazilian chicken, imposed after the detection of a case of bird flu last May in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.

El Spanish President Pedro Sánchez’s announcement It was made by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil, which also confirmed that six other nations—Argentina, the United Arab Emirates, the Philippines, India, Mauritania, and Uruguay—have adopted the same measure.

With these new countries, there are now more than 24 that have resumed purchases of Brazilian chicken meat, including others such as Japan, Egypt, the Dominican Republic and Vietnam, which lifted their restrictions at the end of June.

Brazil, the world's largest exporter of chicken, was declared again “bird flu free” after reporting no new cases since the outbreak detected in Montenegro, a municipality in southern Brazil.

The country complied with international quarantine and health control protocols, which allowed its health status to normalize.

Chicken is essential for the Cuban diet

However, important markets such as China, the European Union, Canada, Chile y Peru They still have completely suspended their imports of Brazilian birds.

In addition, some thirty countries have imposed partial restrictions affecting only the state of Rio Grande do Sul or areas close to the outbreak.

In the case of Cuba, the resumption of imports is especially relevant, since chicken is one of the most in-demand foods among the population.

Both the government and the private sector depend heavily on these purchases. Brazil and United States They remain the main suppliers of chicken to the island.

In 2024, U.S. poultry exports to Cuba exceeded $300 million.