The island nation lifted restrictions on imports of pork products from Spain at the end of May, a significant decision, as it is the third largest market by volume for the sector.
The meeting also provides an opportunity to explore new avenues for collaboration in the agricultural and fisheries sectors and to strengthen trade relations between Spain and the Philippines.
The minister is participating in the presentation of the Spanish Chefs Group, made up of restaurateurs and food importers from Spain.
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, met in Manila with his Philippine counterpart, the Secretary of Agriculture, Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr., with the aim of strengthening cooperation between both countries in the agricultural and fisheries sectors.
Planas personally thanked the Philippine government for its cooperation in resuming imports of Spanish pork—Spain is the Philippines’ second-largest supplier, after Brazil—since May 22, following the effective implementation of the regionalization principle in the fight against African swine fever (ASF). Thanks to this agreement, Spain has restarted exports of Spanish pork products from disease-free zones.
The reopening of the Philippine market is especially significant for the Spanish pork sector, as it is the third largest destination for its exports by volume, accounting for 14% of the total. Spain has been accredited to export pork to the Philippines since 2013, and by 2025, it had 175 establishments authorized to carry out these operations. That year, Spanish pork exports to the Philippines reached €86.78 million , making it the third largest agri-food product exported by Spain to the country, after spirits, liqueurs, and offal.
During the meeting, they analyzed the possibilities for expanding bilateral collaboration in the areas of agriculture, livestock, fisheries, and food, with particular attention to opportunities for cooperation in the modernization, digitalization, and productivity improvement of the agri-food sector, as well as adapting production to the effects of climate change and natural disasters. This cooperation is further supported by a bilateral framework established through the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Agriculture and Fisheries, in force since 2007.
Trade relations between the two countries show a surplus of €318.48 million for Spain. In 2025, Spanish agri-food exports to the Philippines reached €577.07 million, while imports totaled €258.59 million.
