Spain led pork exports in the world in 2019, with 5,218 million 400,000 dollars, displacing the United States.

The superiority of Spain was marginal, since US foreign sales of that product totaled $ 5,217 million 600,000 in the same year.

However, the growth of Spain’s pork exports has remained dynamic, with a year-on-year rise of 29% in 2019. Before, the rate was 13% in 2017 and 2% in 2018, according to Eurostat data .

U.S. pork exports faced tariffs on the China market as part of the trade war between the two powers, but the Chinese government later facilitated these sales.

Since the start of the bilateral trade confrontation, China increased its tariffs on US pig three times, from 12% to 72% in September 2019. But Chinese livestock is affected by an epidemic of African Swine Fever (ASF), which led to an increase in the price of pork, the most consumed meat in China.

China represents the third largest market for sales of this type of meat in the United States, after Japan and Mexico.

Pork meat exports

Gourmet products and Spanish products are increasingly in demand, being a market niche that offers good opportunities for the pig sector.

China covered 23.4% of total pork exports from Spain in 2019. Other relevant destinations were: France (12.8%), Japan (10.8%), Italy (7.9%) and Portugal (5.9 percent).

Also in 2019, Spain has become the leading exporter of pork and pork meat products to China.

Since the first outbreak of ASF was reported in China in August 2018, many activities have been carried out in an effort to contain the disease. However, due to the existing demand for pork in the region, the unofficial movement of pigs and pork products across borders remains and poses risks for the region.