Britain announced on Friday it will temporarily suspend imports of pork from parts of Spain after the country confirmed its first cases of African swine fever (ASF) in more than 30 years.
The move comes as Spanish authorities activated emergency measures in Catalonia, a region at the heart of the nation’s pig farming industry.
“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,” the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said. The department added that the situation would be closely monitored and reviewed.
Trade Impact
Britain is one of Spain’s largest pork customers. So far in 2025, Spain has shipped 37,600 metric tons of fresh and frozen pork to the UK, worth more than €112 million ($129.9 million)—a 17% increase in volume and 9.5% rise in value compared with all of 2024, according to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board.
Disease Concerns
ASF is a highly contagious virus affecting pigs and wild boar. While harmless to humans, it has no vaccine or cure and often forces mass culling of herds. The disease has steadily spread westward across Europe, disrupting pork markets and triggering trade bans. Germany’s 2020 outbreak led to restrictions from major buyers such as China, while Croatia has faced recent flare-ups.
Spain, the EU’s largest pork producer, had avoided ASF in domestic pigs since 1994. The latest detection in wild boar near Barcelona now threatens its €8 billion ($9.3 billion) pork industry and export markets.
Wider Context
Earlier this year, Britain banned personal imports of ham and other meat and dairy products from all EU countries to guard against foot-and-mouth disease, following a rise in cases.