According to the Minister, Spain exports around €8.8 billion worth of pork products annually to 104 countries. More than half of this amount — €5.1 billion, or 58% — goes to the European Union. The Minister emphasized that trade within the EU remains stable: restrictions apply only to the 20-kilometre zone surrounding the locations where infected wild boars were found. Exports from this area are prohibited, but shipments from all other regions continue as normal.
Exports to non-EU countries total €3.7 billion per year, including €1.1 billion destined for China. Of the 104 trade partners, 44 countries have specific sanitary requirements related to ASF. Among them, 24 recognize the principle of regionalization, which allows localized restrictions without affecting national exports. These markets include China, South Korea, Serbia, the United Kingdom and the Philippines.
However, several key markets — including Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and Mexico — do not accept regionalization. This means that a confirmed ASF case in any part of Spain could trigger a nationwide export ban, making these destinations the highest-risk for the Spanish pork industry.
Currently, roughly one-third of Spain’s 400 export certificates are temporarily blocked. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA) is working with trade offices and agricultural attachés to reopen markets and minimize economic losses.
The Minister also stressed the strategic role of Spain’s pork sector. It accounts for 40% of total livestock production and 17% of the country’s overall agricultural output. Spain is the EU’s largest pork producer and the third largest globally. The country has 44,500 pig farms with annual production of 4.9 million tons of pork, of which 2.7 million tons are exported (1.2 million tons outside the EU and 1.5 million tons to EU markets).
The government maintains that the situation is under control, but the coming weeks will be crucial for assessing the broader trade implications of the ASF outbreak.
PigUA.info based on materials from pig333.com