A new report by the Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service found the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the United States was not as big an effect as the closing of key export markets. The report studied the poultry industry during the 2014-15 HPAI outbreak, and concludes that trade restrictions during and after the outbreak affected all poultry commodities, but the overall market impact differed for each commodity. Meat industry publication Meatingplace points out that the effects of the trade disruptions also lasted longer than the direct effects of bird culls. Trade restrictions decreased overseas demand for broiler products and led to lower prices for broiler producers. Prices for many poultry products remained at multiyear lows in 2016, partly due to lingering export weakness related to the outbreak.