Pork takes centre stage in Spain and China deal

The Spanish agri-food sector has further strengthened its trade relationship with China this week. Representatives of both countries, with Spain represented by the minister of Foreign Affairs, signed multiple agreements on animal health and the export of agricultural products, including pork. For the export of poultry meat, a regionalisation principle has been agreed in the event of an outbreak of bird flu or Newcastle disease. This allows exports from non-infected areas to continue. Various phytosanitary agreements have also been made for plant products, including pistachios and figs. Agreements have also been made for the export of pork products, offering new opportunities for Spanish exporters. New product categories added Two important agreements have been signed for the Spanish pig sector. One of them makes it possible to export processed animal proteins, which can improve the valorisation of slaughter by-products. In addition, cooked and heat-treated pork products can also be sold to Chinese buyers in the future. Good relations pay off This is not the first time that both countries have sought rapprochement and strengthened their trade relationship with new agreements. In November last year, Spain and China already made agreements on regionalisation principles in the event of outbreaks of African swine fever (ASF). Shortly afterwards, this principle came into force after infected wild boars were found near Barcelona. Export figures The effect of such agreements is also visible in the export figures, according to data from the European statistics office Eurostat. Despite ample availability of pork in China and the ASF outbreak in Spain, exports fell by around 12% year on year in December 2025. This meant that much of the export position was retained. In the same month, without ASF, the Netherlands saw export volumes fall by around 54%.