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Order Code RS22453
Updated January 3, 2008
~. CRS Report for Congress
Avian Flu Pandemic: Potential Impact of
Trade Disruptions
Danielle Langton
Analyst in International Trade and Finance
Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division
Summary
Concerns about potential disruptions in U.S. trade flows due to a global health or
security crisis are not new. The possibility of an avian flu pandemic with consequences
for global trade is a concern that has received attention recently, although some experts
believe there is little cause for alarm. Experts disagree on the likelihood of an avian flu
pandemic developing at all. This report considers possible trade disruptions, including
possible impacts on trade between the United States and countries and regions that have
reported avian influenza infections. These trade disruptions could include countries
banning imported goods from infected regions at the onset of a pandemic, de facto bans
due to protective health measures, or supply-side constraints caused by health crises in
exporting countries.
Background
This report examines scenarios in which international trade could be heavily
controlled or limited due to an avian flu pandemic.' Each of the scenarios presented
depicts the possibility that imports of goods into the United States could be curtailed due
to the avian flu. Some experts argue that these scenarios are not likely to occur, because
they believe that the United States would probably not implement a general ban on the
importation of goods from affected regions. It is believed that such a ban would not
prevent transmission of the avian flu to the United States, because there is little evidence
that inanimate objects could transmit the disease. Furthermore, opponents to a general
ban on imports argue that such actions could unnecessarily cause economic and social
hardship. The United States depends on global trade for necessities such as food, energy,
and medical supplies. Also, some observers point out that the nature of the "just-in-time"
global economy is such that the United States does not stockpile these and other
For more information on the avian flu, see CRS Report RL33219, U.S. and International
Responses to the Global Spread ofAvian Flu: Issues for Congress, by Tiaji Salaam-Blyther; and
CRS Report RL33145, Pandemic Influenza: Domestic Preparedness Efforts, by Sarah A. Lister.
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Langton, Danielle. Avian Flu Pandemic: Potential Impact of Trade Disruptions, report, January 3, 2008; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc822171/m1/1/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.