TÜRKIYE'S PROHIBITION ON THE IMPORTATION OF LIVE CATTLE

– SPECIFIC TRADE CONCERN 604

SUBMISSION BY THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

The following submission, received on 10 December 2025, is the statement made by the United States of America at the 5-7 November 2025 WTO SPS Committee, and is being circulated at the request of the Delegation of the United States of America.

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1.  The United States remains very concerned that Türkiye's longstanding prohibition on the importation of live cattle from the United States does not appear to be based on science and does not appear to align with the standards, guidelines, and recommendations established by WOAH.

2.  Since May 2024, Türkiye has refused to provide any scientific justification for the prohibition despite several requests from the United States. Türkiye also has not notified its prohibition on live cattle to the WTO.

3.  The US Department of Agriculture has made repeated efforts to resolve this prohibition by providing timely responses to Türkiye's technical questions, and has offered to arrange bilateral meetings (as recently as August 2025), and US site visits for Ministry of Agriculture officials. Regrettably, Türkiye has not responded to these efforts.

4.  The United States remains ready to work with Türkiye to re-open the market for US live cattle exports to Türkiye.

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