While egg prices soar due to bird flu, eggs, and not fentanyl, are the most commonly seized illegal import from Canada to the U.S., according to The Logic.
Official import and seizure data reveal that U.S. customs officials are seizing more poultry products, such as eggs, than fentanyl, one of the central issues of the current tariff war between the two countries.
The report identifies that the U.S. recorded a 36% rise in attempts to smuggle eggs since October 2024, concurrent with the outbreak of bird flu. While the Detroit U.S. Customs and Border Protection office recorded a 36% increase in seizures, the San Diego office, located close to the Mexican border, registered a sharp 158% increase. In all, 3,768 bird and poultry products were seized, compared to only 352 fentanyl seizures during the same time.
Because of bird flu issues, the importation of eggs and other unprocessed poultry products is prohibited in the U.S., and violators are fined $300. Matthew Holmes, Chief of Policy at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, reacted to the increasing cases of egg smuggling by saying, “As serious as fighting illegal fentanyl is, its connection to these trade choices is extremely questionable.”. There seems to be more eggs smuggled into the U.S. from Canada currently than fentanyl.
The egg crisis has taken a heavy hit on North America, although less so in Canada than in the U.S., where prices will continue to go up. President Donald Trump of the U.S. has declared the egg shortage “out of control,” with Elon Musk faulting President Biden for ordering mass egg-laying chicken cullings. Notwithstanding attempts by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish temporary import remedies, no accord has been established with Canada to settle the problem.
