Tariff disputes, bird flu outbreaks, geopolitical tensions and the resultant economic uncertainty are softening the formerly robust outlook for the global poultry trade in 2025, according to the agricultural research group RaboResearch.
Poultry World said that, according to the group’s latest global poultry report, the outlook for global poultry markets would be shaped by geopolitics and avian influenza (bird flu).
Global poultry trade surged to record highs in the first quarter of 2025, marking a strong start to the year. But mounting challenges threaten to disrupt this momentum, the report said.
“A wave of avian influenza outbreaks, coupled with looming tariffs and geopolitical tensions — including potential fallout from the Israel-Iran conflict — could reshape trade flows. Already, Brazil’s avian influenza crisis has rattled markets, with key importers blocking around 40% of the country’s poultry exports.”
This uncertain economic outlook is negatively impacting markets, said Nan-Dirk Mulder, senior analyst of animal protein at RaboResearch.
China, Southeast Asia, and Africa faced the most uncertain outlooks in global poultry trade. These regions had been hit with the highest tariffs, and the direction of future trade policies could bring significant — and widely different — consequences for their local chicken industries.
