Bottlenecks in stores

Bird flu: USA also asks Germans for eggs

"Three eggs maximum", reads a sign in a supermarket in the US state of Wyoming.(Bild: AP/David Zalubowski)

The USA has also asked Germany for more egg exports. "We have indeed received a request from the USA," said a spokesperson for the German egg association. The background: following outbreaks of bird flu, eggs are scarce and expensive in the USA. 

As became known last week, US authorities have therefore already asked other European countries for more exports of hen's eggs.

Requests in Denmark and Sweden too
According to media reports, industry associations in Denmark and Sweden, among others, had received corresponding requests. Denmark's relationship with the USA is currently strained due to US President Donald Trump's plans to buy Greenland.

Empty egg shelves in US supermarkets(Bild: AP/David Zalubowski)

Germany does not have an abundance of eggs either
According to earlier statements by the President of the German Egg Association, Hans-Peter Goldnick, small quantities are already being exported to the USA via the spot market. However, the volume is very small. Germany does not have an abundance of eggs either: only 73% of the eggs consumed in Germany in 2023 were produced here. The rest is imported.

Bird flu has left its mark
The recent outbreak of bird flu is primarily responsible for the egg shortage in the United States - and the sharp rise in prices. The H5N1 virus is currently widespread in wild birds around the world. In the USA, the pathogen has led to outbreaks in poultry and dairy farms. In order to contain the disease, numerous laying hens were culled.

The US government did not initially confirm the various requests for eggs in Europe.