Eastern Europe weights in on plans of egg exports to the US
Lithuania, Azerbaijan and Ukraine are mulling plans to export egg and egg products across the Atlantic, though logistics remains a stumbling block for deliveries to perk up.
US authorities have reached out to Lithuania asking to evaluate the possibility of establishing egg exports to the country to mitigate the devastating impact of the bird flu outbreaks, Gytis Kauzonas, head of the Lithuanian Poultry Association, recently revealed.
In theory, exports to North America are not off the table, Kauzonas said, warning though that bird flu has also hurt Europe. “The tensions in the European market are no less than those in the US,” Kauzonas noted. “Of course, we are primarily focused on nearby markets. The main goal is to meet demand in Lithuania, the Baltic States, and Europe. America is next in line.”
If exports to the US are established, Lithuanian eggs will help meet the demand in the processing segment and will unlikely hit store shelves, Kauzonas assumed.
Azerbaijan joins the trend
Azerbaijan has launched the necessary procedures to commence egg exports to the US, the Azerbaijan Food Safety Agency recently told a local news outlet Report. Azerbaijan is preparing to ship to the US for the first time in the history of the 2 countries, the agency revealed, without providing additional details.
In November 2023, Azerbaijan received a green light from the Russian veterinary watchdog Rosselhoznadzor to begin egg exports to Russia. Imports from several countries, including Azerbaijan, played a certain role in overcoming the egg crisis in Russia.
Ukrainian analysts concerned over export logistics
Ukraine, one of the largest egg exporters in Eastern Europe, also mulls plans to establish deliveries to the US, but logistics makes the prospects of such shipments questionable. “It is a quickly spoiling product, which does not travel far,” Oleg Pendzi, a Ukrainian economist told local press. “There are established logistics routes – the maximum our eggs reach is the Middle East.”
Sergey Fursa, a Ukrainian investment banker, said that it is too expensive to export eggs so that they don’t spoil. If considering the option of air transport, Fursa said they’ll be even more expensive than they are currently in the US.
In 2024, Ukraine exported 77,800 tonnes of eggs, which is 60% up compared with the previous year. In January 2025, sales to foreign customers reached 10,600 tonnes, surging 92.7% compared with January 2024, official customs statistics indicated.
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