Germany declared FMD free, UK lifts trade restrictions

Great Britain has officially recognised Germany as free from foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) without vaccination, following a technical assessment after a January 2025 outbreak.

The declaration, which was confirmed on 14 May, means previous restrictions on imports from the German containment zone have now been lifted.

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Exports of FMD-susceptible animals, such as cattle, pigs, sheep, deer, and buffaloes, and their products, including meat and dairy, can resume, provided all other import conditions are met.

The UK government emphasised this decision was based on a “rigorous technical assessment of the measures applied in Germany and the current disease situation”.

Authorities stressed that, if circumstances change, they “will not hesitate to take necessary action in response to the FMD outbreaks in the European Union to protect our domestic biosecurity”.

While trade rules have eased, personal import restrictions remain.

Travellers are still banned from bringing cattle, sheep, goat, and pigmeat, as well as dairy products, into Great Britain from EU countries.

This includes sandwiches, cheese, cured or raw meats, and milk, even if sealed, duty-free, or packaged.

These measures aim to safeguard “the health of British livestock, the security of farmers, and the UK’s food security”.

Global spread

Globally, concern is rising over the spread of the SAT1 serotype of FMD, recently detected in Iraq and Bahrain.

“This serotype is exotic to the Near East and West Eurasia regions,” stated the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, raising “serious concerns” about its potential spread.

Meanwhile, no new FMD cases have been reported in Hungary or Slovakia since April.

The Czech Republic has resumed food imports from those countries with certification, though live animal imports remain suspended.

Although FMD poses no threat to human safety, it is a highly contagious viral disease affecting cloven-hoofed animals.

Authorities advise that “livestock keepers should therefore be absolutely rigorous about their biosecurity”.

FMD is a notifiable disease, and any suspected cases must be reported immediately.