News
Trade updates for Congo, Kuwait
April 26, 2023
Kuwait
USAPEEC has heard reports that product that should be eligible per the requirements in the FSIS
Export Library is encountering issues when arriving to Kuwait and is being deemed ineligible
per Kuwait’s HPAI standards.
Importers have shared a notification that is dated March 20, 2023, proclaiming state level
restrictions for product originating from Michigan, Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida,
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada,
New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota,
Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.
Additionally, USAPEEC has seen a separate decree from the Kuwait Supreme Committee for
Food Safety issued on May 29 that indicates lifting HPAI restrictions for product from Alaska,
Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, Wisconsin,
Ohio, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah, and Virginia.
Any product from those states that sailed on or after 29 May is eligible.
None of these announcements is being communicated to USDA through official channels, so the
Export Library still reflects the last officially communicated standards of county level
restrictions. USDA has reached out to its counterparts in Kuwait to confirm the current
standards and encourage that the previously agreed upon standards of county level restrictions
remain in place.
Exporters are encouraged to use extreme caution shipping product to the market and should work
closely with their importers to ensure all product will be deemed eligible by the Kuwaiti
authorities.
Republic of Congo
USAPEEC is hearing from the Congolese trade that a certificate of conformity will be required
for all product shipped after July 4 to the Republic of Congo. The certificate of conformity will
be required to come from the private inspection company, Cotecna.
USAPEEC is not aware of an official government announcement at this time, but Cotecna has
published an updated exporter guide for the Republic of Congo – Brazzaville stating that a
certificate of conformity will be mandatory as of July 4.
Last year, the Congolese government did issue an announcement stating that poultry imports will
require a certificate of conformity through Cotecna in order to ship to Pointe-Noire and
Brazzaville. At that time, the Congolese trade was able to push back and the policy was never
implemented.
USAPEEC has requested USDA to push back on this requirement, especially since no official
government notification appears to have been issued. However, exporters should work closely
with their importers to ensure all product will meet the requirements of the Republic of Congo