Spain's Agriculture Ministry has halted all pork exports to China after two wild boar near Barcelona tested positive for African swine flu, the first cases in three decades. As the EU's top pork producer, this outbreak comes amid efforts to expand market share in China. Restrictions will apply to farms within a 20km radius of the site.
Spain's Agriculture Ministry has halted all pork exports to China after two wild boar found dead near Barcelona tested positive for African swine flu, the first cases in three decades. The outbreak coincides with Spanish efforts to court Beijing and gain market share in the pork sector, following China's imposition of tariffs on EU pork during an anti-dumping investigation.
Spain is the European Union's leading pork producer, accounting for roughly a quarter of the bloc's output, ahead of Germany, with annual pork exports of about 3.5 billion euros (US$4.05 billion). Director-General of Agri-Food Production Health and Animal Welfare Emilio Garcia told reporters the measure was implemented in line with a recently agreed bilateral protocol with Beijing. Once China declares that protocol has been activated, exports from regions not affected by the virus can resume.
Barcelona is in the Catalonia region, which accounts for about seven per cent of the country's pork farms, according to Agriculture Ministry figures. Pork farms within a 20km radius of where the two boar died will face restrictions. Interporc's Daniel de Miguel highlighted the need to monitor impacts on EU pork exports, noting prior cases in Croatia and Germany.