As of October 23, 2025, South Korea has officially lifted its import restrictions on pork and pork products from Germany. According to the German Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMLEH), the decision came after the Korean Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) repealed the ban that had been imposed in January following a case of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in Brandenburg.

Between July and September 2025, UK pork production fell by 2.4% year-on-year, totaling 237,000 tonnes, which is also 1% lower than in the previous quarter. These figures were well below the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB)’s initial forecast, which projected 1.4% growth.

Smithfield Foods, the largest U.S. pork producer and a subsidiary of WH Group (Hong Kong), announced significant growth in both revenue and profit for the third quarter of 2025. According to Reuters, the company raised its annual profit forecast, driving its stock price up by 6%.

Poland’s pig industry, which has faced severe losses over the past decade due to African swine fever (ASF) and market volatility, is finally showing signs of stabilization. Experts predict that the national pig population could even begin to grow again in the coming years.

The Ministry of Commerce of China has announced that an official hearing will be held on October 31 as part of the country’s anti-dumping investigation into pork imports from the European Union (EU), Reuters reported, citing the ministry’s statement.

Spain has adopted Royal Decree No. 809/2025 of September 16, which amends the existing Royal Decree 1135/2002 on the protection of pigs. The new regulation introduces a classification system for pig farms based on tail docking practices and the level of animal welfare achieved, as well as differentiated stocking density standards.

Starting January 1, 2026, Ukraine will implement new animal welfare regulations approved by Order No. 224 “On the Approval of Requirements for the Welfare of Farm Animals during Keeping.” Oversight of compliance will be carried out by the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection (SSUFSCP), which is already conducting large-scale inspector training.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), through its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), has announced new import restrictions on pigs, pork products, and related by-products from Taiwan following the recent outbreak of African swine fever (ASF).
The decision took effect on October 21, 2025, according to an official APHIS press release issued on October 27.

Denmark has launched a new support program for pig producers who choose not to dock pigs’ tails. Under the scheme, farmers will receive 50 Danish kroner (≈ USD 7.1) in compensation for each pig raised with an intact tail.

Analysts at Rabobank predict that the global sow population will decrease in 2026, while pork trade will remain dynamic and overall herd health is expected to improve. The findings were published in the bank’s quarterly global pork market report.

The German state of Hesse has begun constructing a large-scale protective barrier to prevent the spread of African swine fever (ASF) from neighboring North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). The initiative was announced by the Hessian Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment (HMLU).

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed new trade agreements with Malaysia and Cambodia, opening major opportunities for American pork and biofuel producers. The initiative is the result of ongoing engagement between the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) and the Trump administration.

The Taiwanese Ministry of Agriculture announced that the African swine fever (ASF) outbreak detected in Taichung has been successfully contained. According to Deputy Minister of Agriculture Tu Wen-jane, the first stage of the epidemiological investigation confirmed that the virus had not spread beyond the farm located in Wuqi District, where the case was first identified.

French President Emmanuel Macron stated that negotiations on the trade agreement between the European Union and the South American bloc Mercosur (which includes Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay) are progressing in the right direction. At the same time, France remains cautious, insisting on stronger guarantees for European farmers and stricter quality control of food products entering the EU market.

Danish Crown has announced a new, more generous subsidy scheme for farmers investing in the construction of modern pig housing facilities for finishing pigs. Under the updated program, producers will now receive a bonus of $0.11 (≈80 øre) per kilogram of pork during the first year after the facility becomes operational.

British scientists from The Roslin Institute have reported a major scientific breakthrough — they have successfully developed genetically edited pigs resistant to the classical swine fever (CSF) virus. This discovery could become a turning point in protecting global pig farming from one of the most dangerous animal diseases, which causes enormous economic losses to the agricultural sector.

Following the detection of the first case of African swine fever (ASF), the government of Taiwan has warned that a nationwide spread of the virus could result in economic losses of up to NT$200 billion (approximately US$6.5 billion).

Preliminary analysis of African swine fever (ASF) samples detected at a pig farm in Taichung has shown that the virus is genetically similar to a strain previously identified in Vietnam, Taiwan’s Ministry of Agriculture reported on Thursday.