First case of African swine fever in Spain could affect global trade

After the first case of African swine fever (ASF) was detected in Spain last month, the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) explained that trade relations are changing. Spain is the largest pork producer in the European Union and the second-largest pork exporter globally, behind only the United States. “Spanish production accounted for approximately 27% of total EU production this year,” said Erin Borror, vice president of economic analysis. “This represents approximately 3.88 million metric tons produced between January and September, and this production volume is actually at a record high, increasing by 6.6%.” Some countries, such as China and South Korea, have a regional agreement with Spain regarding African swine fever (ASF). Therefore, China has suspended imports only from plants located in the Barcelona province where confirmed cases of ASF have been detected. Likewise, South Korea will continue to accept imports from regions of Spain not affected by ASF. The United Kingdom ...