Malaysia has joined China in lifting a ban on the import of heat-treated milk and dairy products from Germany. 

The restrictions were put in place by the Malaysian Ministry of Agriculture and Food Safety following a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in Germany in January.  

In a statement, Germany’s Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) said a new veterinary certificate has also been negotiated with Malaysia, the third-largest market for German dairy exports outside the EU.

Earlier this month, Germany reached a similar agreement with China, its largest market outside the EU, allowing trade to resume.  

Cem Özdemir, Germany's Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, said: “After China, Malaysia is the next major market that German companies can now supply with heat-treated milk and dairy products.”  

Last week, the World Organisation for Animal Health reinstated FMD-free status without vaccination for almost all of Germany, except for the surveillance zone around the FMD outbreak site in Brandenburg, Berlin, said BMEL. 

Özdemir added: “We are continuing to work hard to ensure that other third countries join us as quickly as possible. Our negotiating position for this is promising thanks to the intensive work of the past weeks and months and thanks to the now regained FMD-free status for almost all of Germany. The sooner we return to normal trade, the better for our agricultural and food industry.”

In 2023, Germany exported 38,587t of dairy products to Malaysia, according to Germany’s foreign trade statistics. Exports were worth €60.9m ($66.4m).