U.S.-Denmark egg request shelved amid Greenland tensions
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reached out to Denmark to explore the possibility of egg exports, despite rising prices and tensions related to Greenland. The American request was immediately rejected. The Danes pointed out that there are currently no egg surpluses in Europe.
The United States approached Denmark and other European countries with a request to export eggs. According to The Guardian, the request stems from rising egg prices in the U.S., which the Danish egg producers association confirmed. This coincides with the introduction of new American tariffs on European countries and the threat of more to come.
Americans asked Danes for eggs. Here's what they heard
Donald Trump also threatened economic sanctions if Denmark did not hand over control of Greenland to the United States. The U.S. President expressed confidence that the country would eventually take control of Greenland, even though it is an autonomous territory of Denmark, a member of the European Union.
This news amused some U.S. residents as the Trump administration asked the Danes for eggs. "This is laughable," and "Trump should sit down and try to lay eggs" are some of the comments that appeared online.
Wholesale egg prices in the U.S. are reaching record highs, partly due to an outbreak of avian flu. On his first day in office, Trump promised to lower egg prices, but by February, the first full month of his tenure, prices had increased by 59% compared to the previous year. Some stores are now facing egg shortages, leading them to impose sales limits.
A Reuters analysis of a letter shows that a representative from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Europe sent formal inquiries to egg-producing countries at the end of February, asking about 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)?" – this was written in a letter to the Danish association at the beginning of March.
Challenges of egg export
The Danish egg producers' association declared that it would investigate the matter but noted that there is no surplus of eggs in Europe. It added, "There is a shortage of eggs everywhere on a global scale because consumption is increasing and many are affected by bird flu."
A spokesperson for the association stated that more details had been requested regarding the conditions of such an agreement. The spokesperson also emphasized that exporting eggs to the U.S. is challenging due to hygiene regulations and other factors.
In February, Turkey began exporting about 15 million kilograms of eggs to the U.S. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced last month a plan to seek imported eggs as part of a $1 billion program to combat avian flu.
Americans sent similar letters requesting egg supplies to Sweden and the Netherlands.
