China has imposed a ban on the importation of sheep, goats, poultry, and even-toed ungulates from several African, Asian, and European countries due to outbreaks of livestock diseases such as sheep pox, goat pox, and foot-and-mouth disease.
According to Reuters, the General Administration of China Customs (GACC) announced the ban on January 21, covering both processed and unprocessed animal products. The decision follows reports from the World Organisation for Animal Health detailing disease outbreaks in multiple countries.
Among the affected nations are Germany, Nigeria, Ghana, Somalia, Qatar, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Egypt, Bulgaria, East Timor, and Eritrea. Additionally, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and the occupied Palestinian territories have been barred from exporting sheep, goats, and related products due to reported cases of sheep pox and goat pox.
The ban extends to Germany, where China has also halted imports of even-toed ungulates and related products following an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.