LITHUANIA HAS NO AI-RELATED IMPORT RESTRICTIONS ON

UNCLAS VILNIUS 001284 SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/NB DEPT OF AGRICULTURE FOR DLP, ITP, ICD WARSAW FOR FCS AND FAS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETRD EAGR LH SUBJECT: LITHUANIA HAS NO AI-RELATED IMPORT RESTRICTIONS ON U.S. POULTRY IMPORTS REF: SECSTATE 216147 ¶1. The Lithuanian State Food and Veterinary Service (SFVS) told us that Lithuania has no AI-related ban on the import of U.S. poultry products. Lithuania does, however, maintain a ban on imports of U.S. poultry due to an ongoing dispute between the United States and EU over anti-microbial treatment in poultry processing. Lithuania continues to allow U.S. poultry to transit Lithuania en route to other markets. ¶2. The SFVS told us that it has observed no significant changes in the demand, supply, or price for poultry products in the local market due to avian influenza (AI) concerns. SFVS said, however, that Lithuania's largest poultry facility reported that it is increasing production in anticipation of increased demand for local -- i.e., AI-free -- poultry products. In contrast, the local press reported last month that concerns over AI could reduce Lithuanians' consumption of poultry products by ten percent. The SFVS told us that it has no evidence of any such decrease. ¶3. Lithuania currently bans imports of all poultry products from the following countries that have reported having notifiable strains of AI (NAI): Cambodia (effective from Feb. 6, 2004) China, including Hong Kong (effective from Feb. 6, 2004) Indonesia (effective from Feb. 6, 2004) Kazakhstan (effective from Feb. 6, 2004) Laos (effective from Feb. 6, 2004) Malaysia (effective from Feb. 6, 2004) Mongolia (effective from Feb. 6, 2004) North Korea (effective from Feb. 6, 2004) Pakistan (effective from Feb. 6, 2004) Thailand (effective from Feb. 6, 2004) Vietnam (effective from Feb. 6, 2004) Romania (effective from Oct. 13, 2005) Turkey (effective from Oct. 10, 2005) Croatia (effective from Oct. 24, 2005) Ukraine (effective from Dec. 6, 2005) The SFVS told us that Lithuania follows the decisions of the European Commission (EC) in establishing these bans, which the EC reviews on a monthly basis. COMMENT ¶4. The GOL monitors and evaluates the AI threat continuously. It will alter its policies as its assessment of the threat and the EC's recommendations continue to evolve. MULL