Turkey has begun exporting about 15,000 tons of eggs to the United States as a devastating outbreak of bird flu cuts US production and causes prices to skyrocket, a leading industry official said on February 20.

The deaths of millions of laying hens are jeopardizing US President Donald Trump’s pledge to reduce everyday costs as grocery stores stock up and restaurants raise prices on egg dishes.

Deliveries to the US from Turkey began this month and will continue through July, said Ibrahim Afyon, chairman of the Central Union of Egg Producers (YUM-BIR) in Turkey.

“The exports will be made through our member companies with the necessary permits, and the two firms will coordinate the process,” Afion said.

“A total of 15 thousand tons of eggs will be shipped, which is equivalent to 700 containers,” he added.

The United States is working to contain bird flu, which was first detected in dairy cattle in Texas last March and has since spread to more than 970 herds in 17 states. Since April, the virus has infected nearly 70 people, mostly agricultural workers who have had contact with infected poultry or cattle. One infected person has died.

The outbreak among poultry began in 2022 and, according to US data, has killed about 162 million chickens, turkeys, and other birds. The surge in recent infections is contributing to an egg shortage.

“We support temporary imports of egg products to ease the strain on the U.S. egg supply,” said Chad Gregory, CEO of United Egg Producers, a cooperative that represents U.S. farmers.

Faced with supply constraints, US companies have been looking for alternative import markets, which has led to talks with Turkish producers, Afyon said. The deal is expected to generate about $26 million in export revenue, he added.

According to Afyon, Turkey is among the 10 largest egg exporters in the world.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) did not comment on the imports.

The agency is restocking avian flu vaccines for poultry and has granted a conditional license to animal health company Zoetis for a vaccine for chickens. The USDA has not yet authorized the use of the vaccines.