According to the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture and official briefings, China — Spain’s main pork importer — has restricted its ban to Barcelona province, including the districts of Osona, Bages, and Lluçanès, where a significant share of Catalonia’s pig production is concentrated. At the same time, 14 meat-processing plants in the province have temporarily lost permission to export to China.
Japan, the fourth-largest destination for Spanish pork, has completely halted imports and, unlike China, does not recognize the principle of regionalization. Spain is negotiating with Tokyo to adopt a similar approach.
South Korea, the Philippines, Serbia, and Chile have confirmed their willingness to work under regionalization rules. Meanwhile, the Philippines is currently not issuing CEXGAN export certificates and is awaiting further clarification on the disease situation.
Mexico has fully suspended imports. In this context, the President of Catalonia, Salvador Illa, met in Mexico City with the country’s Minister of Agriculture. Both sides agreed to maintain close communication to restore trade “as soon as possible.”
Argentina has partially eased its restrictions: certain products — such as pork items cured for at least six months or salted casings — are now permitted.
Markets that remain closed, with reopening negotiations underway, include Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Cuba, Ukraine, Vietnam, Thailand, and Canada.
The domestic situation in Spain is also tense. On 5 December, Mercolleida — the country’s main market reference for pig prices — announced another sharp drop. This time:
- prices for slaughter pigs were reduced by €0.10 per kg;
- sow prices decreased by €0.06 per kg;
- piglet prices dropped by €5 per head.
This is the second extraordinary reduction within a week. The correction exceeds the usual maximum price fluctuation limit of €0.06, which is only overridden in exceptional circumstances. In total, pig prices have fallen by €0.214 over the past week — a result of declining demand from non-EU markets and overall uncertainty in the sector following the outbreak.
Export restrictions, halted shipments to major markets, and uncertainty about the potential spread of ASF have placed significant pressure on Spain’s pork industry, which generated €8.8 billion in export revenue in 2024.
PigUA.info based on materials from pig333.com