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
'Malcolm in the Middle' reboot releases 1st trailer, reuniting Frankie Muniz and Bryan Cranston: Watch here - 2Artemis 2 astronauts arrive at Kennedy Space Center ahead of NASA's historic launch around the moon
- 3Land Rover Just Unveiled Its Dakar Rally Defender
- 4The most effective method to Pick The Right Speakers
- 5Germany ready to assist Syria's reconstruction, says foreign minister
- 'Stranger Things' star debunks claims of 'unseen footage' from Season 5, Volume 2 as backlash intensifies ahead of the series finale
- 4 astronauts are now on their path to the moon. Here’s what happens next
- The most effective method to Connect Successfully with Teachers in a Web based Setting
- Dad issues urgent plea to find stem cell donor for his son
- Google's proposed data center in orbit will face issues with space debris in an already crowded orbit
- A trip to Colombia in my 20s turned into 8 years freelancing in South America. Here's what I'd do differently.
- Over 1,800 killed since junta seized power in Burkina Faso, rights group says
- From record warming to rusting rivers, 2025 Arctic Report Card shows a region transforming faster than expected
- A photographer's journey to capture a blood moon rising over the South China Sea. 'It was an incredible moment'
