US officials are turning to international sources in a desperate bid to alleviate a severe egg shortage that has driven prices to unprecedented levels, forcing grocery stores to impose purchase limits and restaurants to add surcharges.
Poultry trade organizations in countries such as Poland— the world’s second-largest egg exporter—along with smaller exporters like France and Indonesia, report that they have been contacted by American embassies and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) regarding egg exports.
The outreach underscores the lengths to which the US is willing to go to replenish its egg supplies, which have been severely impacted by a record bird flu outbreak that wiped out millions of hens. The resulting shortages have led to a dramatic spike in retail egg prices, which have doubled in the past year, exacerbating inflation. To fill the gap, the US is expected to import between 70 and 100 million eggs over the next few months. Former President Donald Trump, who made reducing grocery prices a focal point of his campaign, has labeled the situation a “disaster.”
However, securing those imports is no simple task. Eggs are notoriously difficult to ship due to their short shelf life and fragile shells. Additionally, many countries do not have surplus stocks available for export. Shipping eggs is also more complicated than moving grains or sugar, as animal products face stricter trade requirements, and several exporting nations are grappling with their own bird flu outbreaks.
In France, Thomas Bartlett, secretary general of the French egg industry group SNIPO, told reporters that his country has little supply available for export. “What we responded to the USDA is that there are no volumes available in France, and there are very few in Europe,” he explained. Wholesale prices in the European Union have surged to a two-year high, fueled in part by bird flu outbreaks in the region.
In countries where eggs are available for export, logistical issues remain a significant obstacle. Shipping whole eggs across oceans can be impractical, and some nations would need to process, dry, or freeze eggs before they could be exported. Poland’s National Chamber of Poultry and Feed Producers, for example, confirmed that it has the capacity to ship processed egg products, but only “very limited” quantities of whole eggs.
Egg handling and washing standards vary by country, complicating trade further. For example, while Poland has the necessary health certificates for exporting eggs intended for processing, it does not have certification for retail eggs, according to Katarzyna Gawrońska, director of the National Chamber of Poultry and Feed Producers.
In addition to established suppliers, emerging markets are exploring potential egg exports to the US. Spain’s Inovo group is currently negotiating with the USDA to determine what quantities of eggs may be available for export, while Indonesia is also considering shipments. The Indonesian government has indicated it could export about 1.6 million eggs per month, though it will prioritize domestic supply, particularly for its free lunch program.
The US is also looking to reinstate import licenses for Dutch egg products, which were suspended earlier this year amid concerns over industry practices. The Netherlands, the world’s largest egg exporter, has been a major player in global egg trade.
As countries weigh the decision to ship eggs abroad, some are implementing measures to safeguard their own domestic markets. Turkey, which plans to export 15,000 tons of eggs to the US through July, recently imposed an export tax to manage local prices. The country is also battling bird flu outbreaks, and eggs are a crucial part of meals during the ongoing holy month of Ramadan.
Despite the high demand and the opportunity presented by US prices, global egg supply remains constrained. Only about 3% of the world’s egg production enters international trade, making it difficult to quickly rebalance the market, according to Rabobank’s Nan-Dirk Mulder. “It’s a very local industry,” he said. “If you want to rebalance the market, you need big volumes. It’s almost impossible, in the short term, to do that.”
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