CBP: “While US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has seen a 48 percent increase of raw/fresh eggs seized at the northern and southern border ports of entry compared to last year, different types of eggs are arriving at a different port of entry in the Midwest. Starting in February CBP Agriculture Specialists (CBPAS) in Louisville see an increase in hatching egg shipment, and there have already been three seizures related to hatching eggs in March alone at the Louisville Port of Entry. Over two weeks, March 6 to March 20, CBPAS in Louisville seized 39 hatching eggs. Hatching eggs are all avian species to include poultry, game birds, racing pigeons, and other birds – if there is a market for a live bird someone will try to import hatching eggs for them.”

“These live eggs are shipped to the US for hatching or reproduction purposes. The eggs are commonly destined to be incubated, hatched and then raised. For agriculture purposes, hatching eggs fall under the regulations for live animals (9CRF) and are highly regulated because they can carry Newcastle disease and/or Avian Influenza (HPAI). The three shipments arrived March 6, March 16, and March 19. The first two shipments from Turkey were heading to New York and Nevada. The latest shipment arrived from Romania and was transiting to Costa Rica. In 2024, Louisville CBPAS seized 25 shipments containing a total of 519 eggs. They arrived from Turkey, Belgium, Romania, Singapore, and were heading to both stateside locations and other countries.”