Poultry exporters can breathe a sigh of relief. Poland and China have signed an important document
Minister of Agriculture Stefan Krajewski and Ambassador of the People's Republic of China Lu Shan signed a protocol on inspection and quarantine requirements for Polish poultry meat and processed poultry products intended for the Chinese market – informs the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. As the ministry notes, the signing of the document was preceded by intensive joint activities of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Chief Veterinary Inspectorate and the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Beijing.
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There is a chance to export poultry to China
The parties reached the final agreement on the content of the protocol on June 1, 2026, during an online meeting. “We are now starting preparations for the implementation of the provisions of the protocol signed today,” says Minister Krajewski, quoted in the release.
Export of poultry meat and poultry products from Poland to China will be carried out on the basis of regionalization at the level of territorial units – NUTS-3 (European division into subregions, which divides Poland into 73 regions). Such a poultry trade system means that in the event of an infectious poultry disease (e.g. bird flu), the ban on the export of meat, eggs or chicks does not cover the entire country, but only the region (voivodeship, district, zone) where the disease outbreak was detected.
The signing of the protocol ends the technical arrangements between the countries. Based on it the Chinese side will be able to “activate” Polish companies that are entered into the Chinese electronic customs system, but have so far been inactive due to the termination of their operations. After completing these activities, it will be possible to resume poultry exports to China. Currently, nine Polish poultry plants have export rights.
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Poland gained the right to export poultry to the Chinese market in 2018, but due to the occurrence of bird flu, China imposed an embargo on Polish poultry in January 2020. Before 2020, we sent poultry worth EUR 55 million to that market.
The embargo was lifted in June 2024, but due to another avian influenza outbreak in August 2024, China again banned poultry imports.
Poland is the largest producer of poultry meat in the European Union, and the prospect of further development of exports, including to the Chinese market, is of great importance for our producers and the entire sector. In 2025, the total production of poultry meat in Poland exceeded 3.5 million tons, i.e. it was at the level of the previous year. Poland approx. 60 percent production is exported, mainly to EU countries.
