Last week the South Korean government lifted its ban of imported U.S. poultry and poultry products. The country had banned poultry after detecting highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). South Korea will also temporarily allow U.S. eggs and egg products to enter the country duty free as a result of a domestic shortage.

“The United States has the strongest avian influenza surveillance program in the world and we were at once able to quickly identify, confine, and control this most recent disease outbreak. Our hope is that Korean officials will recognize that our system works and will move towards a regional approach in the event of any future findings of bird flu,” said U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue in an agency press release. “South Korea is one of our best trading partners, and we want to continue being their most dependable supplier of high-quality food and farm products. Korea’s lifting of its most recent ban is an important move for our poultry and egg industries, but it is still just the first step.”