The United States has asked Danish authorities to ramp up egg exports across the Atlantic as prices remain elevated amid shortages.
The development, reported by specialist Danish publications AgriWatch and Foodwatch, comes as tensions run high over U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that he will make Greenland, the autonomous territory in the Kingdom of Denmark, part of the U.S.
Why It Matters
The average wholesale price of eggs in the U.S. reached an all-time high of more than $8 a dozen in early March, with production hit hard by avian flu outbreaks and ensuing poultry culls.
The price has since fallen to about $6, according to Trading Economics, but remains elevated. With the loss of more than 127 million egg-laying birds since 2022, fears of renewed shortages persist.
AP
What To Know
U.S. authorities have approached Denmark’s leading industry firm, Danish Eggs, to inquire about the possibility of increasing exports.
“They have approached us to ask how much we can deliver. They have also written to my colleagues in the Netherlands, Sweden and Finland,” Jørgen Nyberg Larsen, the sector manager for Danish Eggs, told AgriWatch in an interview.
Other Danish business leaders corroborated Larsen’s statement. Ivan Noes Jørgensen, the CEO of Dava Foods, told the outlet he was aware of the severe egg shortage in the U.S. and confirmed that the company had received such a request from Danish Eggs.
What People Are Saying
Speaking about the challenges Denmark would face if it tried to help, Jørgen Nyberg Larsen, the sector manager for Danish Eggs, told AgriWatch: “Among other things, eggs in the United States—both for consumption and egg products—must be washed, and we are not allowed to do that in the EU. I asked if that still applies, and they wanted to ask about that in Washington. They came back and asked how much we can deliver, and I have answered that.”
Ivan Noes Jørgensen, the CEO of Dava Foods, said of the egg shortage facing Europe: “Our position is first and foremost that we serve our current customers. Our raw material volume is currently adjusted to the customers we have, so we are currently prioritizing our long-term, strategic collaborations in Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway rather than having to export to a market like the United States.”
Henrik Pedersen, the CEO of Ovodan Foods, told the outlet: “If things and conditions are acceptable, then we will consider the United States as an export country. But as it is now, a trade barrier from the American side regarding the import of egg products from Europe is in the way … We find it hard to believe that this will change now. Unless the requirements are eased, we don’t immediately believe that any major exports can take place.”
What Happens Next
The price of eggs has dropped significantly in the past week—from $7.22 per dozen, a little less than the all-time high of $8.17 seen a few days before, to $4.90.
While campaigning for the presidency, Trump said he would tackle egg prices on “day one” of his administration. However, in December, he said it was “hard to bring things down once they’re up.”
It remains to be seen whether the price of eggs in the U.S. will continue to fluctuate.
