| By Code Blue

The US poultry sector anticipates wider access to the Malaysian market following the Malaysia–US Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART), but industry representatives concede that not all American producers may be able to comply with Malaysia’s halal requirements.

In a written response to CodeBlue, the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) said the agreement removes several long-standing trade obstacles, including Malaysia’s blanket ban on poultry imports during outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). USAPEEC, a non-profit body representing US poultry and egg exporters, said these changes would improve market access for American producers.

Under the ART framework, Malaysia will replace nationwide HPAI bans with a regionalization approach. State-level disease zones will be recognized immediately once the agreement takes effect, followed by county-level recognition after 180 days. Malaysia will also discontinue its own facility approval process and instead accept poultry products from all establishments listed in the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Meat, Poultry and Egg Products Inspection directory.

Despite these developments, USAPEEC noted that halal compliance remains a key limiting factor. While Malaysia is required under ART to recognize halal certification issued by any US certifier approved by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM), the council said it remains uncertain how much of the US industry can meet Malaysian halal standards as verified by these certifiers. Nevertheless, USAPEEC expressed optimism that the removal of other trade barriers would encourage producers to pursue halal certification.

The council emphasized that facilities listed in the FSIS directory operate under continuous federal inspection, with inspectors monitoring processing activities, sampling products daily, and ensuring compliance with US microbial safety standards. All products leaving such facilities carry an FSIS inspection mark, regardless of whether they are destined for export or domestic consumption. On-farm animal health, including HPAI testing, is overseen separately by the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

Addressing concerns over chlorine-washed chicken, USAPEEC said the practice is now rare, accounting for less than 5% of US poultry production. While the process involves rinsing chicken with chlorinated water and has been deemed safe through extensive research, most US processors have shifted to alternative antimicrobial treatments such as peracetic acid.

USAPEEC’s comments align with views from other US agricultural groups. The US Meat Export Federation estimates the agreement could generate up to US$60 million annually in beef exports to Malaysia, while the US Dairy Export Council said ART would place US dairy products on equal competitive footing with suppliers from Australia and New Zealand.

Malaysian authorities have yet to publicly outline how the agreement will be enforced across poultry, meat, and dairy imports. Meanwhile, a veterinary expert and a Malaysian MP have raised concerns over whether Malaysia has sufficient disease surveillance and border inspection capacity to manage the transition to zone-based import controls.

Source:

Code Blue. (2026). U.S. poultry group admits potential difficulty meeting Malaysia’s halal standards. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2025/11/us-poultry-group-admits-potential-difficulty-meeting-malaysias-halal-standards/