South Korea opened its market to U.S. poultry about 15 months after closing them due to an outbreak of bird flu in the United States.

Related: Bird flu impacts U.S. markets

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced last week that the market had been reopened.

South Korea has reopened its market to U.S. poultry after closing it due to the HPAI outbreak in the United States. (Photo: Givaga/Thinkstock)

“By persuading other trading partners to enforce regionalized bans that affect only those areas where HPAI was detected, and to rely on internationally accepted science-based standards for trade, USDA has helped preserve billions in U.S. poultry exports,” Vilsack said in a statement. “In 2015, despite the HPAI outbreak, U.S. poultry and poultry product exports reached $4.6 billion. This action will support USDA’s continued work with other countries to lift remaining HPAI-related restrictions.  USDA also will work with South Korea to try and avoid future nationwide restrictions.”

Several countries closed their markets to U.S. poultry after an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in spring 2015. The impact of lost exports alone reached nearly $390 million during the first half of 2015, according to the U.S. Poultry and Egg Export Council.

Source: USDA Foreign Agricultural Service