(NAFB.com) – After months of hard work by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the USDA, Columbia reopened its market to U.S. poultry and egg producers. “Ensuring our producers can compete on a level playing field across the globe is a top priority for the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office,” says USTR Chief Agricultural Negotiator Doug McKalip. “We are pleased that American poultry and egg producers have renewed access to higher income for them, their families, and our rural communities because of efforts to remove this market access barrier.” The Colombian government had stopped issuing import permits for U.S. poultry on August 7, 2023. The government cited concerns over the spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. The restored market access is another major win for American agriculture. “We’re pleased that Colombia is living up to the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement,” says Alexis Taylor, USDA Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs.