The Philippines has implemented a temporary ban on pork imports from Spain, the country’s second-largest pork supplier, following the detection of African Swine Fever (ASF), Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said Wednesday.
The ban is effective immediately and covers all Spanish pork produced from Nov. 11, 2025, onward until shipments are officially cleared of ASF.
“Anything produced after November 11 will not be allowed. We need to safeguard the country’s pork supply while maintaining market stability amid holiday season demand,” Tiu Laurel said.
Despite concerns that the ban might trigger price spikes, he assured the public that the local market remains stable heading into the peak holiday season.
“All of our cold storage is full of pork. Prices are reasonable, and while demand may increase slightly during the Christmas season, pork remains more or less affordable,” he said.
Tiu Laurel said the Department of Agriculture (DA) would only allow regionalization for countries possessing strong monitoring and certification systems. Countries showing weak controls or slow responses to disease outbreaks will not be considered, he said.
