Facing a prolonged egg shortage driven by a severe avian flu outbreak that has decimated millions of egg-laying hens, Washington has turned to Europe for support, requesting increased egg exports to ease pressure on American consumers.
Washington has made a formal appeal to European nations — particularly Denmark — to help sustain supply chains and keep essential foods like eggs, omelets, and desserts within reach for American households.
Even when eggs are available on supermarket shelves, prices are soaring. Shoppers in the U.S. are paying as much as $6 for a carton of a dozen eggs. Donald Trump, who pledged to slash prices from day one of his presidency, now faces an economic reality spinning out of his control. Since he took office, egg prices have surged by 59% year over year as of February.
According to Reuters, a U.S. Department of Agriculture representative in Europe formally reached out to major egg-producing countries in late February, requesting details on their capacity — and willingness — to export eggs to the American market.
“We’re still waiting to get more guidance from Washington on next steps, but do you have an estimate of the number of eggs that could be supplied to the United States (assuming they meet all the import requirements),” reads a letter sent to the Danish Egg Association in early March.
Copenhagen, however, informed U.S. officials that Europe is facing its own egg shortage, with demand running high and avian flu outbreaks affecting production on the continent as well.
The Trump administration has however, managed one small victory: in February, Turkey announced it had begun exporting around 15,000 tons of eggs to the United States — a modest lifeline in an otherwise scrambled situation.
