The Gabonese government plans to ban imported chicken from January 1, 2027, aiming to boost national production and reduce food dependency. The move has been met with opposition from the US, which has raised concerns at the World Trade Organization (WTO). The US argues that a blanket ban on imports contradicts global trade rules, which only permit such decisions in exceptional circumstances.
The Gabonese Council of Ministers, under the presidency of Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, took note of the US challenge at the WTO on September 18, 2026. The measure, announced on May 30, 2025, seeks to strengthen national production and reduce the country's reliance on imported food. The US challenge highlights the commercial stakes, with the US being Gabon's second-largest supplier of chicken, providing 16,518.8 tonnes worth $19.9 million.
According to the Gabonese Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, and Rural Development, Pacôme Kossy, the US is defending its commercial interests, while Gabon is defending its economic interests, food sovereignty, and development of its productive apparatus. Kossy emphasized that Gabon has not been condemned by the WTO and is not currently facing a WTO decision against it.
The current national chicken production in Gabon stands at around 4,000 tonnes per year, with an estimated annual deficit of nearly 50,000 tonnes. The government aims to increase production to over 100,000 tonnes by 2027-2028 and create more than 100,000 jobs. An emergency plan is already in place, including an initial order of 562,400 one-day-old chicks and 2,350 tonnes of poultry feed.
To respond to the US challenge at the WTO, the Gabonese government is preparing a dossier that is economically documented, juridically solid, and diplomatically defensible. The government maintains its target date of January 1, 2027, but the US contestation may modify the modalities of the ban. Kossy remains committed to the goal of producing in Gabon what the country consumes.
The US challenge highlights the complexities of international trade and food security. Gabon's efforts to boost national production and reduce dependence on imports are set against the backdrop of global trade rules, which aim to promote free and fair trade. The outcome of the WTO challenge will have implications for Gabon's food security and economic development.
Key points
- The US has challenged Gabon's plan to ban imported chicken at the WTO, citing concerns that the move contradicts global trade rules.
- Gabon aims to increase its national chicken production to over 100,000 tonnes by 2027-2028 and create more than 100,000 jobs.
- The US is Gabon's second-largest supplier of chicken, providing 16,518.8 tonnes worth $19.9 million.
