According to media reports on March 7, US officials are seeking sources for importing eggs from abroad to alleviate the domestic shortage. Currently, this shortage has caused egg prices in the USA to skyrocket, with the increase significantly exceeding that of other countries.

Reports indicate that major egg-exporting countries like Poland, as well as poultry trade groups in smaller exporting countries like France and Indonesia, have stated they received inquiries about egg exports from the US Embassy and the US Department of Agriculture.

This indicates that the US is willing to make significant efforts to increase domestic supply. In recent years, the USA has encountered the worst Bird Flu outbreak in history, resulting in the death of millions of hens, and retail egg prices have doubled year-on-year, exacerbating broader inflation.

Last month, President Trump mentioned the issue of egg prices at a cabinet meeting, referring to it as a "disaster." New Agriculture Secretary Bruker Corp Rollins acknowledged that by the time of Easter on April 20, it would be difficult to stabilize egg prices in the USA due to increased demand.

Rollins had previously revealed that the USA is in discussions with multiple countries regarding import matters. However, the current reality proves that this may not be an easy task. Firstly, the short shelf life of eggs and their fragile shells make Transportation difficult. Additionally, even exporting countries do not always have surpluses available for distribution.

Thomas Bartlett, Secretary General of the French Egg Industry Organization SNIPO, told the media, "Our response to the USDA is that France has no available products, and Europe has very few as well." Government data shows that the wholesale price of eggs in the EU has recently reached new highs in two years.

In addition, compared to crops like grains and sugar, animal products such as eggs typically face stricter trade requirements, as some countries are also battling their own Bird Flu outbreaks. Bartlett stated that the Bird Flu outbreak in the EU has also led to shortages in France.

Some countries have also indicated that they need to crack, dry, or freeze eggs in order to sell them overseas.

Katarzyna Gawronska, President of the National Poultry and Fodder Producers Association in Poland, the world's second largest egg exporter, stated that the U.S. Embassy contacted the association last week.

She added, "We informed the U.S. side that it is possible to export shell eggs, but in limited quantities, while exporting large quantities of processed egg products is feasible."

Gawronska explained that the differences in standards for cleaning or processing eggs are another trade barrier that also requires obtaining permits. She noted that Poland has the health certificates required for processing eggs for the USA, but this cannot be applied to retail stores.

Last week, it was reported that the USA plans to restore import licenses for egg products from the world's largest exporting country, the Netherlands. At the same time, the USA is also seeking help from the third-largest exporting country, Turkey, but Turkey has announced a tax on egg exports to help control domestic prices.

The Spanish supplier group Inovo stated that it is trying to determine the quantity of eggs that can be exported to the USA and is discussing health certification issues with the USDA. The Indonesian Poultry Farming Association has also received inquiries from the USDA to assess their interest in exporting.

Nan-Dirk Mulder, an expert from Rabobank, stated that despite the High Stock Price of eggs in the USA presenting opportunities, only 3% of the egg supply is involved in Global trade. "This is a very localized Industry, and in the short term, it is almost impossible for the USA to balance the market solely through imports."

Editor/ping