US asks countries to help lower soaring egg prices

COPENHAGEN: The United States has reached out to Denmark and other European nations asking if they can export eggs as Americans face surging egg prices, the Nordic country’s egg association said on Friday.

The request from the US Department of Agriculture coincides with a raft of new US tariffs on countries, including in Europe, and the threat of more. President Donald Trump has also threatened economic sanctions unless Denmark hands over control of Greenland to the United States.

US wholesale egg prices are shattering records as an accelerating outbreak of bird flu in laying hens slashes supplies. Trump promised to lower egg prices on his first day in office but prices increased 59 per cent on a year-on-year basis in February, the first full month of his administration.

A letter reviewed by Reuters showed that a representative of US Department of Agriculture in Europe had sent formal inquiries to egg producing countries in late February seeking information on their ability and willingness to export eggs to the American market.

“We’re still waiting to get more guidance from Washington on next steps, but do you have an estimate of the number of eggs that could be supplied to the United States (assuming they meet all the import requirements),” a follow-up letter to the Danish egg association in early March said.

“Washington is trying to get an estimate of the amount they could feasibly source,” said the letter, received last week.The Danish Egg Association said they would look into it but that there is no surplus of eggs in Europe.

“There is a shortage of eggs everywhere on a global scale because consumption is increasing and many are affected by bird flu,” he added.The spokesperson said they had requested more details on the conditions of such an agreement, highlighting that egg exports to the US were challenging due to regulations related to hygiene and other factors.

Turkey said in February it had started exporting around 15,000 tonnes of eggs to the US.US Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins last month announced the plan to seek imported eggs as part of a $1 billion effort to combat the bird flu. The US embassy in Copenhagen did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Reuters has also requested comment from the Department of Agriculture.