Korean eggs, recently exported to the United States for the first time in history, are expected to become a more common sight on American tables.
On March 20, the U.S. federal government announced plans to increase egg imports from South Korea to address the egg supply shortage caused by the spread of avian influenza.
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins stated during a call with industry groups and reporters that the United States would begin importing more eggs from South Korea, according to Reuters.
Earlier this month, Gyerim Farm in Asan City, Chungnam Province, South Korea, became the first in the country to export 20 tons of large eggs (335,160 eggs) to Georgia. Korean eggs undergo stringent quality inspections and are predominantly brown, a variety preferred by American consumers, contributing to their popularity in the U.S. market. As a result, South Korea is poised to join Türkiye and Brazil as one of the key countries from which the U.S. will increase egg imports moving forward.
Since the outbreak of avian influenza in the United States in 2022, approximately 166 million egg-laying hens have died due to culling or the disease itself. This has led to a severe egg supply shortage across the country, driving egg prices to record highs over the past few months. To tackle this issue, the federal government has been pursuing measures to boost egg imports from overseas.
Last month, Secretary Rollins outlined in an opinion piece for The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) that up to $1 billion would be invested to combat avian influenza and stabilize egg prices, which have been a significant driver of inflation.
On this day, Rollins further announced that up to $100 million would be allocated to research and development projects for treatments and vaccines to eradicate avian influenza. This funding will be distributed to companies developing vaccines and therapeutics, as well as state governments, universities, and other eligible institutions conducting related research.