South Korea reopens its market to Spanish pork, while Japan and the Philippines remain locked down due to swine fever

Little by little, the doors of relevant markets outside the European Union (EU) are reopening to Spanish pork. The Minister of Agriculture of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Oscar Ordeig has announced that South Korea will allow Spain to export Spanish pork outside the surveillance zone. Only the 39 farms in this area will be excluded. An achievement that occurs after Chinawhere we exported almost 1.1 billion euros in pork products last year, will agree to apply ‘regionalization’ to African swine fever (ASF) in wild boars in Cerdanyola del Vallès (Barcelona)but at the provincial level in Barcelona.

Other non-EU markets such as United Kingdom They have also agreed to apply the same restrictions as the European Union (EU). Which will allow almost all of Spain to continue selling pork to the British. However, other relevant destinations for pork exports such as Japan (781.34 million euros), Philippines (316.41 million) and Mexico (60.05 million) continue with their total lock on the Spanish pig.

The fate of Spanish pork is at stake in Asia

Why is South Korea so important? As published Economic Information, From knowledgeable sources, this Asian country has focused a large part of the efforts of the sector and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in recent days in the face of the closure of other relevant markets such as the Japanese. However, the Asian dragon maintains the suspension of fodder imports since the appearance of the ASF outbreak on November 29.

The main destination for Spanish pigs outside the EU is Chinawith 1,095.47 million euros, is applying the export protocol signed mid-last month that establishes this ‘regionalization’ in the province. In this case, the export veto affects the entire province of Barcelona. However, Japan (781.34 million euros), which is the second largest non-EU client after the Asian giant, is completely closed. The next on the list is precisely South Koreawhich last year bought pork products from us for 314.71 million. Of this amount, 113 million euros came from Catalonia.

Specifically, Ordeig, has welcomed the fact that this Asian country has accepted regionalization around the 20 kilometer surveillance zone established in Cerdanyola del Vallès (Barcelona), reports EP. What contrasts with China’s stricter position, as a consequence of the export protocol signed in mid-November during the visit of the Kings to the Asian giant, applies a regionalization by province.

Regarding markets such as the Japanese, the EAE Business School professor, Francesc Rufas, states that “The United States and Japan are ultra-protectionist” and that they usually impose “internal regulations with very aggressive production, labeling and health standards.” A type of non-tariff barriers that, in the opinion of this expert, generate a lower response than a tariff “which usually has a compensation.” Conditions that ironically are not usually met by many local producers, according to Rufas.

“Regionalization by health criteria”

Likewise, he has reiterated that he is working together with the Ministry of Agriculture to open destinations as relevant as Japan and the Philippines. “Catalonia defends and will defend regionalization by health criteria, by criteria of a job well done,” pointed out the representative of the Catalan government. This confirms what was stated by the National Association of Pig Cattle Producers (ANPROGAPOR) by its general director Miguel Ángel Higuera, who noted his confidence in ‘recovering’ South Korea “We believe that the files will be reopened and that there will be no problem, that accepts European health requirements,” Higueras told this medium.