Almost all of the US poultry is transshipped through Singapore, making it difficult to estimate total volumes, but FAS Jakarta expects that the combined value of US poultry products imported into Timor Leste in 2011 and 2012 were upwards of $10 million.

In 2008 the Government of Timor Leste (GOTL) prohibited the imports of US origin poultry products
following the US notification of low pathogenic avian influenza (AI) in the United States.

The regulation banned US poultry for two years. In August 2010, FAS Jakarta, Regional APHIS officials and Embassy Dili staff engaged with the GOTL in efforts to lift the ban. USDA demonstrated the United States’ ability to rapidly detect, control and eradicate the uncommon occurrence of notifiable AI in commercial US poultry.

US officials effectively conveyed that US poultry meat and meat products are safe and pose no risk of transmitting AI to Timorese consumers. As a result of these efforts, in April 2011 the GOTL lifted the ban of US poultry and trade began to flow.

To date no US poultry is shipped directly to Timor Leste; the typical transshipment route is through
Singapore, making it difficult to measure the total trade.

However, in 2011 FAS Jakarta estimates that roughly $6.0 million of US poultry was imported into Timor Leste. Moreover, Post assesses that in 2012 Timor-Leste imported roughly $4.0 million of US poultry. Timorese importers tend to prefer chicken leg quarters, drumsticks and thighs.