On 10 March 2004 the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) removed Hong Kong from the list of economies that are subject to an importation ban on birds and bird products. The US government's decision to remove Hong Kong is based on its documented public health measures to prevent the spread of avian influenza and the lack of bird flu cases in Hong Kong's domestic and wild bird populations.
However, the import ban remains in force for birds and bird products from Cambodia, mainland China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. It excludes bird products processed to render them non-infectious and pets or performing birds of US origin returning to the US from Southeast Asia. Other disease control measures imposed by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), including a 30-day quarantine for pet birds, will remain in effect.
