A high-profile summary legal dispute between Surinamese import firm Subisco International N.V. and the national state over a seized shipment of French poultry has been formally withdrawn, with opposing legal teams offering conflicting explanations for the decision, local judicial records confirm. The case centered on a sweeping public health import ban imposed by Suriname’s Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries (LVV), implemented to block avian influenza (bird flu) from entering Suriname’s domestic market. The regulation restricts all poultry product imports from the entirety of the European Union and designated high-risk zones in the United States. Representing Subisco, attorney Serena Essed stated the firm initiated the summary proceedings primarily to secure a binding, long-term regulatory framework for future poultry imports from Europe, rather than only seeking clearance for the single French shipment in question. Essed noted the detained consignment was accompanied by full, valid veterinary certification issued by official French agricultural authorities, confirming the poultry originated from a region entirely free of active bird flu outbreaks. She explained Subisco made the decision to abandon the case after negotiations with state representatives failed to produce any actionable, formal agreement that would outline clear conditions for resuming European poultry imports, even as large swathes of France and other European regions have been declared fully bird-flu free by international animal health regulators. Essed added that pursuing a ruling limited exclusively to the already detained shipment would do nothing to resolve the company’s core priority: establishing predictable, consistent import rules for future consignments that meet international veterinary safety standards. However, lead state attorney Deepak Jairam offered a sharply contrasting account of the withdrawal. Jairam argued the LVV import ban, first formally communicated to registered importers on February 5, 2026, is unambiguous and not open to flexible interpretation. He clarified that Suriname maintains formal regionalization agreements with the United States that allow poultry imports from confirmed disease-free zones in the country, provided importers obtain pre-shipment written approval from Suriname’s national Veterinary Service for every individual order. No equivalent regionalization accords exist between Suriname and the European Union, Jairam emphasized, meaning all European poultry products, even those sourced from officially bird-flu free areas, fall under the blanket import restriction. He noted the ban will remain in full force until the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) confirms all risk criteria for full resumption of trade have been met. Jairam added that during the court hearing, head of the national Veterinary Service Gianna Karg provided full clarification of the policy to the presiding magistrate, and Subisco’s director, who attended the proceedings in person, was able to clearly discern the likely trajectory of the judge’s final ruling, prompting the voluntary withdrawal of the claim. No substantive judicial verdict on the legality of the state’s rejection of Subisco’s French poultry shipment has been issued as a result of the case being dropped, leaving the core policy disagreement unresolved. Subisco representatives stated the firm will continue to advocate for a transparent, evidence-based import regulatory system rooted in verifiable veterinary safety standards, prioritizing both public food security and reliable poultry supply for Suriname’s domestic consumer market.
Subisco trekt kort geding over kipimport in; Staat houdt vast aan importverbod
