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Australia has proven to be an appealing and profitable market for U.S. companies for many years. Apart from an extremely strict quarantine regime, it offers few barriers to entry, a familiar legal and corporate framework, and a sophisticated, straightforward business culture.

The combination of COVID disruptions and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) outbreaks led to a 1.8 percent decline in EU (European Union) chicken meat production in Calendar Year (CY) 2021. Despite ongoing HPAI outbreaks, easing COVID restrictions will likely result in a 0.2 percent increase in EU chicken meat production in CY 2022.

On May 2020, the European Commission announced a revision of the legislative framework for Geographical Indications (GIs) as part of the European Union (EU) Green Deal’s Farm to Fork Strategy.

Hong Kong continues to take random tests on imports of chilled and frozen foods and their packaging for the COVID-19 virus.

The European Commission is banning titanium dioxide (E171) as a food additive in the EU, starting with a six-month phasing out period as of February 7, 2022, until August 7, 2022, after which a full ban applies. Following the publication of Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/63 in the EU’s Official Journal (OJ) on January 18, 2022, Annex II and III to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives will be amended accordingly.

In 2022, the Australia beef industry is set to continue its herd rebuilding phase which began in 2021. As the herd numbers have begun to recover, overall cattle slaughter is expected to rise from the 50-year low of last year.

Both EU beef and pork production are forecast to decline in 2022. The lower domestic beef production is caused by a shrinking dairy herd with higher milk deliveries but a lower output of animals for slaughter.