African swine fever costs Spain €350 million in exports to Japan and Mexico

Spain’s pork industry has lost €350 million in exports to Japan and Mexico after African swine fever disrupted shipments, according to the National Association of Meat Industries, known as Anice.

Japan’s purchases dropped by 74% in volume and 77.5% in value during the first half of 2026. Spain exported 24,880 tonnes of pork and offal to Japan, down from 95,425 tonnes in the same period of 2025. The value fell from €402.9 million to €90.6 million, a reduction of €312.3 million in six months.

The monthly figures show the Japanese market closing progressively. Spanish meat exports to Japan fell from about 7,000 tonnes in January to just under 600 tonnes in June. Japan suspended imports of Spanish pork products, although it allowed products packaged on or before October 29, 2025, which supported some shipments during the first months of 2026.

Trade with Mexico stopped altogether. Spain exported 5,154 tonnes of pork and offal to Mexico worth €9.8 million in the first half of 2025, but the 2026 figures record no exports. Shipments of processed products also nearly halted, after reaching 1,726 tonnes worth €23.4 million a year earlier.

Anice says the sector’s priority is to advance regionalisation mechanisms. Such measures would confine restrictions to areas affected by the disease and allow companies in disease-free territories to resume exports.

Authorities detected an African swine fever outbreak among wild animals in Barcelona province, Catalonia, in November 2025. Nearly 390 wild boar had tested positive and more than 11,000 had been captured. Since then, about 40 countries, mainly in the Americas and Asia, have partially or fully stopped importing Spanish pork.