Morocco’s food safety agency ONSSA has lifted restrictions on poultry imports from Portugal after Portuguese authorities declared the containment of highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks that triggered a suspension last year.
According to industry sources cited by Moroccan media, ONSSA informed poultry sector professionals that imports of live birds, poultry meat, eggs, animal feed and derivative products from Portugal can resume following sanitary measures implemented by Lisbon in line with World Organisation for Animal Health standards.
The restrictions had been imposed in September 2025 after Portugal reported an outbreak of H5N1 bird flu at a laying hen farm near Lisbon, prompting Morocco to suspend imports as a precautionary measure against the spread of the virus.
ONSSA said imports from Portugal will remain subject to veterinary health certificates approved jointly by authorities in both countries, maintaining sanitary controls despite the reopening.
The move comes as Morocco’s poultry and livestock sectors remain under pressure from supply disruptions and repeated animal health concerns affecting European markets. Several countries have tightened import controls over avian influenza outbreaks in recent months as the virus continues circulating across parts of Europe and North America.
Portugal’s outbreak had raised concerns over potential regional spread and prompted temporary trade restrictions from multiple partners, though authorities later said containment measures and culling operations had eliminated active infection clusters.
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