The Department of Agriculture (DA) has lifted its import ban on animal-derived commodities from Germany, following the declaration of the European nation as free from foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), a highly contagious viral infection that affects cloven-hoofed livestock.

The DA had imposed the temporary ban in February, shortly after Germany reported confirmed cases of FMD in domestic buffaloes in Hoppegarten, located in the district of Märkisch-Oderland, Brandenburg. The notification was submitted to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) in January.

FMD primarily affects cattle but can also infect pigs, goats, sheep, and other cloven-hoofed animals. The disease, while rarely transmissible to humans, carries high mortality rates—especially among young livestock—and poses serious economic risks to the agriculture sector.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said thru memorandum order no. 29 that Germany is now considered FMD-free under the guidelines of the WOAH Terrestrial Animal Health Code. As such, he said, the risk of contamination from importing FMD-susceptible animals, their products, and by-products “is negligible.”

The DA noted that German veterinary authorities had submitted all necessary technical documentation and certifications to support the lifting of the ban.

In 2024, the Philippines imported 3,177.5 metric tons of beef from Germany, which accounted for about 0.5% of the country’s total beef imports. Germany had also been a key pork supplier until 2020, when a separate import ban was imposed due to an outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF).

The lifting of the FMD ban signals the potential restoration of broader livestock trade between the Philippines and Germany. ###