LONDON (Reuters) -Britain said on Friday it would temporarily stop imports of pork meat from parts of Spain after the country confirmed its first cases of African swine fever in just over three decades.
Britain is one of Spain's main customers for pork, and the move comes as authorities in Madrid activated emergency measures in Catalonia, a region central to pig farming.
"Following an outbreak of African Swine Fever in Spain, all fresh pork and other affected products from Spain will be held at Border Control Posts until further notice," Britain's environment department (DEFRA) said in a statement.
"We will continue to monitor the situation and keep all measures under review," it added.
Spain exported 37,600 metric tons of fresh and frozen pork to Britain so far in 2025, worth over 112 million euros ($129.93 million), up 17% in volume and 9.5% in value compared with all of 2024, according to data from the government-backed body the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board.
The virus is a highly contagious disease that affects pigs and wild boar but poses no risk to humans. It has no vaccine or cure and often leads to mass culling when detected in farmed herds.
The disease has spread westwards in Europe in recent years, disrupting pork markets and prompting trade bans. Germany's outbreak in 2020 led to sweeping restrictions from major buyers such as China, while Croatia has battled infections in recent months.
Spain, the European Union's top pork producer, has so far avoided the virus in domestic pigs since 1994, making the latest detection in wild boar near Barcelona a significant concern for its 8-billion-euro ($9.28 billion) pork industry and export markets.
Britain's government earlier this year banned personal imports of ham and other meat and dairy products from all EU countries to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth disease, following a rising number of cases.
($1 = 0.8620 euros)
(Reporting by Disha Mishra, Kanjyik Ghosh in Bengaluru and Sam Tabahriti in London; Editing by Chris Reese)
latest_posts
- 1
Germany sees third consecutive diesel price record after rule change - 2The 20 Most sultry Style of the Time
- 3A soft launch, an unfollow and a lot of questions: Breaking down the 'Summer House' romance blowing up group chats
- 4David Duchovny's new thriller has him stripping down at 65. But its chilling premise hits close to home.
- 5The most effective method to Recognize a Great Lab Jewel
- Bismuth’s haredi draft bill won’t change enlistment, IDI expert tells 'Post'
- Artemis II astronauts say they're "ready to go" for moon launch
- Jason Kelce opens about wife Kylie Kelce's past pregnancy loss
- Find the Advantages of Careful Eating: Developing a Sound Connection with Food
- Report: Russian military pressuring students to work as drone pilots
- Newly identified species of Tanzanian tree toad leapfrog the tadpole stage and give birth to toadlets
- UN torture cm'tee report flags Israel for allegedly mistreating journalists, detainees, ex-MAG
- Alleged Huione Group Money Laundering Boss Extradited to China
- Nine in 10 German industrial firms expect Iran war to hit business
